Of Final Adventures and Last Years
by Sylph Dancer
Summary: Lock and Key Duology #1. It's been four years since the fall of Easter. Everything is calm—and normal... until prophecies are spoken, supernaturals are exposed, and demons raise hell. The secrets of the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key will be revealed... if our ten heroes can live long enough to hear them. But fate has a sick sense of humor. Amuto, Rimahiko, Kutau, Yairi, Tadeshiko.
1. Prologue: All the Stories Are True!

**Hello, hello! My name is Sylph Dancer! (Well... not REALLY...) Yes, t****his fan fiction was originally called 'Kissing Material', but I changed the name because I thought it sounded more fitting to what this story is really about.**

**Just a warning, there's a lot more romance than supernatural biz for like the first ten chapters at the beginning, but it gets more magic-y (is that even a word?) as the story progresses.**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

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**Prologue**

They say that all the stories are true.

Even the tallest tale, the wildest myth, has a drop of reality hidden within the fantasy. Every story from around the whole world, from folk tales of kindly lumber-giant people sixty-three axe handles high that roam North America to wizards in Europe, to whispered rumors of a man with sand to help children sleep, to beings that take childrens' teeth and leave things in their place; the world is filled with fairy tales.

Of course, we all know that this could never be true. There are no vicious werewolves roaming the Black Forest. There are no bloodthirsty vampires hidden in Romanian castles. Fish-tailed sirens do not sit on jagged, rocky coasts and lure men to their deaths. No lady waits on bridges waiting for men to dance with and toss over the edge to drown if he refuses. The Great Sphinx of Egypt does not constantly riddle tourists and then eat them when they get the answer wrong.

And most certainly, little guardian angels do not follow children around to help them become their would-be-selves.

But even though the people of the world know this, we still dream. We still fear the Dark and the secrets hidden within it, still burned and hanged innocent people for fear they were satanic witches, hunted dragons and dress up as monsters on Hallow's Eve, hope for a man in fur from the North Pole to bring us all presents on Christmas night. We do not forget the world of fantasy. The beauty of magic is as real to us as it will ever be, lighting up our war-torn, divided world where children are forced to kill their parents and unwanted souls kill themselves. It represents our dreams. All of our dreams.

Even the nightmares.

Oh, yes. We cannot forget the spirits that lurk around graveyards, the murders buried at crossroads, the monsters that lurk beneath our beds and in our closets. With red, malicious eyes, cackling laughs, and sharp claws, they await us, reminding us that none of us can escape Fear itself. But of course, we know that magic does not exist. Everyone knows none of the stories are true, right?

And this is just another story, waiting to be heard.

It's been four years since the fall of Easter. Four years since the Seiyo Academy Guardians graduated, since Kairi came back, and since Ikuto left. All was safe and well, we and our guardian characters were content, and love was finally beginning to blossom among us.

But everything changed.

An improbable girl appeared, one who shouldn't even exist, with a terrible secret. A prophecy was unearthed, which warned of the death of the "Lock and Key". The supernatural world was revealed, and suddenly magical beings were popping up... and an ancient evil returned for revenge. The monster had to be stopped at all costs before it took over the world and rules in shattered dreams and Fear.

There was no way we were going to let that happen. But when shocking new information came to light from an unlikely source, we began to question what was real and what was illusion. The secrets of the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key were revealed... and the truth threatened to tear us all apart forever.

This is the tale of the ten character bearers, and their final adventure, from surprise birthday parties to convenience-store ghosts, from masquerade balls to evil monsters, from getting drunk to X-Eggs and Easter. This is the tale of the Road of Stars, of destiny and the Lock and Key Guardians. This is the tale of how everything fell apart and got put back together again.

This is our story.

And it begins on a hot spring day, in the middle of Seiyo Academy's running track...

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**Hello, hello! It's Sylph Dancer here!**

**As you hopefully know, Of Final Adventures and Last Years is complete with a sequel in the works. However, it has occurred to me that some of you may not know that my sequel is actually out right now and is in progress. When you're done reading this one, you can find it under the title Of Final Battles and Last Stands (OFBLS) when viewing My Stories on my profile page.**

**You can also find it with this link (remove the underscores, I can't figure out how to make it work without them):**

**_fanfiction_._net_/_s_/_9105577_/_1_/_Of-Final-Bat tles-and-Last-Stands_**

**There might also be this weird space in between the two t's in Battles. Just delete it. I can't get rid of that, either. Sorry.**

**Read and Review!**


	2. In Which Yaya Eats Ice Cream!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

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**Yaya**

"Practice is over!"

The heat of the sun beat down, hot and hard, on my shoulders as I drained the last of my water. Sweat slid down my temples and forehead, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand, breathing heavily. Not a single flurry of air, not a shift of feet on the high school running track gave me a single notion that I was not alone. I only lifted my bright yellow water bottle and poured it over my head, sighing in relief as the icy water slid in droplets down my neon pink sports bra and matching track shorts.

"YAAHHH!" A pair of hands shot out from behind me and grabbed my sides. I shrieked, squirming wildly and attempting to kick my unknown attacker.

The hands released me, and the sound of a familiar pink-haired girl laughing hysterically made me whirl around. "HOLY—Amu, what the heck was that for? I swear I almost peed my in my shorts!" I whacked my friend's arm.

"S-sorry!" Amu choked, her topaz eyes filled with tears as she huddled over in an attempt to keep herself from dying of extreme laughter. She did not sound sorry whatsoever. Rima stood nearby, her evil grin a very obvious pointer as to whose idea the scare had been.

"Geez, guys," I whined. "As if I wasn't already tired and stressed from finals! You really had to do that?"

Amu stopped laughing immediately, staring at me. "You—you—" she sputtered.

I cocked my head to the side. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you—you're not referring to yourself in third person! And you're actually worried about finals!" She pressed her palm to my forehead. "Are you feeling well?"

I giggled. "I've been talking this way for a while, Amu."

"Wait, what? How did I not notice? What is going on? Yaya, are pranking me?"

Rima grinned evilly again, crossing her arms and covering the baby blue of her lacy summer dress. "She's hanging out with Kairi too much."

I blushed really hard. "Of course we hang out all the time! We're totes best friends, you know!"

Oh, come on, Yaya," Rima teased. "Admit it, you like him!"

"I do not like him! We're just friends!" I protested. "He's a good guy!"

"Yeah, you would know." Rima elbowed me, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Amu only looked confused.

And that was the moment I decided that Amu and Rima would look wonderful drenched in water. One minute the bottle was in my hand, and the next water was splashing onto my friends' t-shirts. My two female best friends squealed and started yelling at me at the exact same time.

"YAYA! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

And the next moment I decided that now would be a very good time to flee for my life.

Laughing hysterically, I sprinted from the track and across the grass, snatching up my bag from the side of the track and running towards the safety of the high school like Hell was after my blood. And it might as well have been, seeing as two rather angry girls were cackling hysterically behind me as if they were bloodthirsty psychopaths that had recently escaped from an asylum.

I was thinking it was a good thing that I'm a fast runner when I turned back to taunt them, and ran smack into somebody's chest and knocked the person over.

"Oof!" My face smashed right into a chest, and the smell of lilacs and soft wool filled my nose as I gripped the front of a familiar off-white sweater.

"Ow…" I groaned. "Gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to knock you over." I struggled to my feet and shook my head, peering down at the unsuspecting victim. "Oh! Hey, Nagi! Sorry!"

The tall boy laughed and leapt to his feet gracefully. "It's all right, Yaya. May I ask why exactly you were running-? Oh. It's you."

Rima and Amu had just appeared, panting and out of breath. Apparently Hell didn't get a lot of exercise.

"Hey, Nagi," Amu gasped, hands on her knees.

Rima, however, seemed to have realized that her dress was crinkled and her low-heeled, dark brown sandals were now scuffed. She did not seem to remember, however, that she needed to refill her lungs with air, as she appeared to have stopped breathing. Judging by the fact her face had grown redder (who would've thought that was possible?) and the fact that she suddenly found her shoes very interesting, Nagihiko's appearance seemed to be taking a heavy toll on her.

"Hey, Amu." He grinned, ruffling her hair, towering over all three of us. His eyes flicked to Rima, and I saw a light flush on his pale cheeks. "Hey, Rima."

She went red, and looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "What?" she snapped.

Nagihiko sighed. "Nice to see you, too."

Amu looked confused as to why the two were both blushing madly and also arguing at the same time, having been used to a full-on hate relationship between the two.

It was obvious those two totally needed to get together. Like, now. At this moment. And yeah, maybe I kinda sorta was trying to keep myself from rushing forward and pushing them together.

"Soooo," I said to break the suddenly awkward silence, "Whatcha doing here, Nagi?"

He blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "What? Oh." He hefted the duffel bag he was carrying over his shoulder. "Basketball practice. We just got out, and I thought I might get some ice cream at that new place at the mall."

"OH! ICE CREAM!" I gasped, suddenly excited, and grabbed Nagihiko's arms and started to jump madly. "I want ice cream! Are they any good? Do have any money? Will you buy me some? I like ice cream! I'm hungry!"

Nagihiko laughed and managed to pry my hands off his arms. "Calm down, Yaya. Hey, why don't we all go?"

Amu nodded. "Yeah, let's go. We were actually just searching for our guardian characters."

"You lost them?" I asked, confused. "How can you lose a little floating person that follows you everywhere you go and never shuts up?"

"I'm not really sure, exactly. They just seem to run off all the time for whatever reason. They're really giggly, lately. I wonder…" Amu pondered. "Do you think maybe they're hiding something?"

Nagihiko shrugged. "Probably. Mine are acting up, too. Maybe it's some weird phase?"

Rima snickered. "I know what's up with KusuKusu, anyway. I caught her all dressed up and trying to sneak out with Rhythm. I've gotta say, I never thought she was even into guys."

I growled in frustration. "Yes, yes, we all get it. Our guardian characters are in love. We can tease them when we find them. I want ice cream!"

* * *

_Somewhere close by, several tiny guardian characters were attempting to keep from giggling too loudly as they watched a blushing Rima and Nagihiko argue with each other while a bemused Amu tried to keep the peace, toying nervously with her black tutu and her frilly hot pink tank top. Yaya appeared, dressed in her normal clothes and bouncing excitedly, sending the long white ribbons on her floaty white blouse flying._

_"Wow, Yaya hasn't changed one bit," Ran sighed. "I thought maybe she would've matured a bit. I mean just look at her!"_

_Miki tutted. "Ran, don't make assumptions. I've seen her. She's become very rational and responsible. You just can't let any sweets anywhere near her." The blue-haired character looks the group up and down. "Although, none of their styles has really changed, huh?" _

_Rhythm looked at her strangely. "You've gotta be kidding. That's what you notice? I, personally, see a cry for help. Don't you see the blushing and arguing? They can't even flirt with each other!"_

_"I don't want to see my Riri-tan so unhappy," KusuKusu pouted. "Not when I'm happy." She grinned at Rhythm, who winked at her._

_Miki groaned. "No PDA, please!"_

_Ran laughed awkwardly. "Um, can we focus on the task at hand? Please?"_

_"Fine, fine."_

_Ran sighed. "Anyways, I think it's obvious from watching these guys we have not one, but two relationships to set up. It's not just Yaya and Kairi anymore, but Rima and Nagihiko!" She giggled happily. "This is going to be so much fun!"_

_Su, who had been busy playing with a ladybug off to the side, finally looked up. "What about Amu?"_

_Ran waved her hand dismissively. "Ikuto and Tadase are already on the case. One of them will win her heart without our help."_

_"Yeah, but Ikuto's been gone for years now. He doesn't visit very often…" Su trailed off. "Doesn't that rule him out, desu?" She thought to herself. "Well, that doesn't matter. Amu loves him anyway. Wait a second! Then why are we including Tadase? I'm confused..."_

_The other guardian characters were already soaring off to put their first plan into action._

_ "Wait for me, desu!"_

* * *

"Mm!" I said happily, shoving the rest of my Triple Decker Super Sweet Ice Cream Bomb (extra large with fudge syrup and nuts!) in my mouth as my friends watched me half in horror and half in respect. "This is so good! Can I get another?"

A trickle of sweat dripped down Nagihiko's temple. He pushed away his cup of French vanilla ice cream and I snatched it up, swallowing the remnants in a couple bites. "That's your third. Aren't you full?"

The sweet shop was empty except for us, which made no sense because it was March, just before break, and on a Friday night. The rest of the mall was fairly crowded, as well, many familiar teenage faces laughing and talking as they shopped and browsed the many high-end clothing shops I could never afford because I bought too much candy. I could've sworn there were more people, but they all seemed to disappear after I finished my first Triple Decker Super Sweet Ice Cream Bomb (extra large with fudge syrup and nuts!)

It was a nice sweet shop, with gleaming tile floors, shining counters and countless types of candy lining the walls in clear "barrels" and scoops; you could watch as fresh ice cream, finely spun cotton candy, buttery caramel, and elegant truffles being made and put on display.

"Nope! Rima are you—" I didn't finish and shut up quick as Rima gave me a frightening glare and pulled her rainbow cake batter ice cream closer to her. I gulped, and then turned away. "Amu, are you done with yours?" She nodded, looking slightly fearful, and pushed her strawberry frozen yogurt toward me. I lifted my spoon, ready to dig in, but the tinkle of a bell caused me to look up and smile. And then, for some strange reason, blush madly, put down my spoon, and hurriedly put on my yellow hoodie to cover up any stains.

Tadase walked through the door, smiling softly next to a laughing Kukai with his arm around a snickering Utau. Behind them was Kairi, pushing up his glasses with one hand, the other shoved in his gray hoodie pocket. I couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong with me, but I my throat had gone extremely dry. I barely noticed the sudden appearance of the many giggling guardian characters that had shown up along with the four.

"Hey, guys!" Amu called cheerfully. "What took you so long?"

"Utau got held up at the set of her new music video. Turns out that someone on the set blabbed to the paparazzi that she was here, so we had to sneak her out of there without being seen."

Tadase nodded. "It was lucky for us that Kairi showed up and distracted them. Otherwise we would never have made it out of there without them catching us."

Utau chuckled. "It was pretty funny, actually. He came running out of nowhere, waving his arms like a maniac and yelling something about sweets, danger, and something to do with money and health."

Kukai grinned over his shoulder at Kairi. "We think he was running to convince us the dangers of buying over expensive sweets that are dangerous because of some scientific evidence and whatnot."

Kairi blushed. "Actually, I—" He saw me and stopped. "Oh. Hi, Yaya." He smiled, and I nodded mutely, suddenly wanting to cry and smile back at the same time as a balloon expanded inside my chest. "As I was saying," Kairi continued, "I was… err, trying to get here to restrain, um, you, Yaya."

My eyes went wide. "What? Why?" Did he think I ate too many sweets? Did he think I was a pig? Was he coming to scold me like a parent? Did he think of himself as my dad or brother or something? WAIT A SECOND! Why do I care?!

"Well…" He cleared his throat, and I suddenly found my feet very interesting. "I was just, um, studying for the biology final, and I went to get a snack, and when I got back, I saw my textbook was flipped to a page on hyperglycemia… and I read it, and I got worried, and you eat so much sugar, and I got kind of paranoid, because you obviously have none of the causes of hyperglycemia, and when I found out that you were getting ice cream…" I couldn't read his voice. What did he mean? And why was I worrying? "And I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't hurt yourself."

At this I looked up. "You wanted to make sure I was safe?"

He nodded. "Oh! But don't worry! I've calmed down, and I know you're safe." A relieved smile split his face.

I wanted to cry and smile again, so I only nodded and motioned for him to sit down.

Rima, and Utau snickered. I shot them a dirty look, sticking my tongue out at Nagihiko and Kukai, who were trying—and failing—not to smile. Amu and Tadase only sat there, looking confused.

"What's so funny?" Amu asked, starting to smile. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing. Everyone else is just feeling a little cockamamie because of the large quantities of sugar they have consumed." They all stopped laughing and stared at me. "What?"

"…You really do spend too much time with Kairi," Rima said, shaking her head.

I blushed, and Kairi sputtered, "What?! You say that like that's a bad thing!"

* * *

_A small, baby-like guardian character floated over to another pretty character with rich purple hair wearing a delicate pink kimono. "You'd think that it would at least be obvious to Yaya what she was feeling."_

_Temari nodded. "It's not like Kairi isn't trying to tell her. It's slightly sad how he follows her everywhere and blushes and stutters whenever she is around, and yet she has never noticed."_

_"True, that." Rhythm floated around the two. "It's almost as bad as Nagi and Rima-tan."_

_"Don't worry! Don't worry!" Ran cheered. "We can get them all together!"_

_The three other characters sweat-dropped. "Since when did we interfere in their lives?"_

_A tiny prince with lilac hair glided over. "Since they've started growing up, of course." He put his fists on his hips, glaring down at them all. "Everyone can see they're not going to be kids for much longer. It won't be long before they don't need us anymore."_

_Rhythm raised an eyebrow. "And that's cause for messing in their relationships?"_

_"Directing them to face their emotions and getting them to act on them will also make them happier in the long run. Who else is going to make them happier? It's obvious they're not going to go anywhere without our help. They're going to feel regret and sadness if we don't stop it."_

_"Who's to say they won't figure it out themselves?" Rhythm asked. The rest stared at him incredulously. "Oh… I see your point."_

_"Exactly." Miki nodded. "You can say this is our last chance to help them find their would-be-selves. Except, you know, romantically. After we disappear, it will be too late."_

* * *

The evening slowly spread across the sky, soft oranges and yellows flaring around the sun setting in the west. Midnight blue and deep purple flooded in from the east, intermingling with the rosy sunset, wispy clouds colored egg-shell white. The sun turned the tall buildings of the city black with mellow gold edging.

"It's so pretty…." I said in awe, watching as the oranges and yellows slowly faded and the sun inched out from the sky, flooding the world in hues of purple, blue, pink. Sounds of agreement rose around me as we all stood facing the west.

Kukai and Utau both had early starts for the next day, and they left first, Tadase tagging along (well, more like Kukai dragged him along by the arm against his protesting that he didn't live anywhere near Kukai or Utau.)

Nagihiko sighed. "I wish I could stay, but I have dance practice early tomorrow. I need to get home. And then I have to get a present for Tadase." He grinned sheepishly. "I might have accidentally forgotten his birthday."

My eyes widened. "Tadase's birthday? Oh my gosh, I completely forgot! It's in, like, two days! I haven't gotten him anything yet!"

"Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one!" Nagihiko sighed in relief.

Amu laughed. "That's okay, Yaya. I haven't had the time, so I was planning on going shopping tomorrow for something. Do you guys want to come?"

"Hey, I have an idea." Rima's eyes twinkled, and I backed away a little. Whenever she got that look in her eyes, it was usually when she was planning something. And that was not usually a good thing. "Why don't we throw him a surprise party?" _Oh, thank goodness, it wasn't something dangerous,_ I thought. "We can hold it at his house. It'll be fun!"

I nodded excitedly. "That would be so cool! We just have to get permission from his parents or somebody so we can hold it there!"

"Permission? To plan a party in his house?" Rima asked, confused as if she had never heard of such a thing.

Amu chuckled. "That would be cool. Let's all get together and plan it. How about right here?"

"I'll text everyone!" I said excitedly. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

"If no one minds, I need to get home," Kairi said timidly behind me. I nearly jumped. I had forgotten he was there.

Amu nodded. "I gotta go, too. Rima, let's walk home."

"You shouldn't walk home alone, just in case," Nagihiko said hopefully. "I can walk you home." Meaning, he was using this opportunity to hang around Rima.

"I guess…" Rima said, trying her best not to look like she was about to faint.

The three walked off, Nagi and Rima immediately beginning to bicker while Amu sighed in exasperation.

"See you tomorrow, guys!" They didn't notice me. Those two seem to forget everything around them when they're together. It's totes cute, but it's kinda dangerous when they argue, because often people get hurt in the crossfire.

Speaking of scary things, I realized I was alone with Kairi. My heart began to pound and my cheeks grew warm. "Um, so I should get home." I couldn't look him in the eye. What was wrong with me?

"Let me walk you home." I looked up. "You shouldn't walk home alone, it might not be safe." His eyes were unreadable.

"S-sure," I stuttered. I started walking in the direction of my house without bothering to see if he was following.

"Hey, wait up!" He caught up to me, slipping his hand into mine. My breath caught, and I turned red, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Of course, he did. "Are you okay? Dear God, are you feeling well?" He pulled me to a stop and turned me toward him. His eyes met mine, full of concern, and my legs felt weak.

"Y-yes," I said, suddenly glad it was dark. "I'm fine."

The back of his hand felt my forehead. I swayed, felling rather dizzy. "You don't seem all right. Maybe you're feeling sick?"

"N-no…" He cupped my cheek gently, leaning in closer. I couldn't breathe. What the heck was going on? "Kairi?" I asked breathlessly.

He frowned. "Your face is hot…" He drew back, and I my heart squeezed painfully in my chest. Without warning, he knelt, sliding an arm underneath my legs and scooping my up into his arms like a bride. "I better get you home and into bed. I think you may be ill."

"No, it's okay," I protested weakly. "You don't have to carry me, I can walk…"

"I'm not taking any chances." He started walking. "I just hope you don't get me sick," He teased, and I laughed, unable to speak anymore.

Was it just me, or did he just hold me a bit tighter?

The walk home, normally about twenty minutes, felt closer to around an hour. I could only try desperately to control my body, which had decided to go crazy. I had a really bad idea about what exactly I was feeling.

Finally, _finally,_ my house rose into view, lights shining from the living room. I could faintly hear the television running, which, thankfully, most likely meant that my parents were not in the living room. The position I was in would probably drive my mother to asking me embarrassing questions like whether or not we were going out, or when she could expect grandchildren, while my dad would fuss and worry over the fact that I was growing up to fast and that he needed to lock me in a chastity belt or something. All before my suspected "boyfriend"—WHICH HE WAS NOT!—could leave. Kairi shifted me closer to him, leaning me against his chest as he ascended the porch steps and rang the doorbell.

My younger brother Tsubasa appeared at the door, and I sighed in relief. His eyes widened, and let Kairi in. "Hi, Kairi. Whatcha doing with Oneesan?"

"She's sick, Tsubasa," Kairi informed him. "I'm going to put her to bed, okay?"

Tsubasa nodded happily, motioning upstairs and sucking on a lollipop that looked suspiciously like it had come from my secret candy stash in my room.

Kairi carried me upstairs as set me down on the bed, pulling me into a sitting position and pulling off my sneakers. Despite my efforts, I went red again as he slid off my hoodie and socks and pulled open a drawer, only to reveal a my rather embarrassing junk drawer, mostly filled with feminine items such as lacy undergarments my mother had bought me in the hopes that I would eventually wear them someday (I wasn't planning on it.) A pink tinge flooded his cheeks, and he hurriedly closed the drawer and opened another, sighing in relief and pulling out a nightgown.

"Do you think you can dress yourself while I get some stuff ready?" He asked.

I nodded silently, and he smiled, getting to his feet and closing the door behind him. Noises started coming from the bathroom next to my bedroom. I hurriedly pulled off my clothes, tossing my shirt, shorts and hoodie into my hamper.

I was wearing only yellow and white striped boy shorts when Kairi knocked on my door again. "Are you done dressing?"

I hurriedly threw on my floaty pink nightgown and sat back down on the bed. "Y-yes," I called out.

The door opened. "Since I'm not quite sure what illness you have, I decided it would be best just to keep you cool, and maybe—" He stopped, staring at me. His eyes widened. "Uhh…"

I looked down at myself confused, and blushed even harder. The thin fabric, while thankfully covering my breasts fully, did not conceal my underwear very well, the hem just hitting mid-thigh and letting the stripes poke through. I gulped and hurriedly slid under the red covers, pulling them up over my head. "You don't have to do this," I mumbled, my voice muffled by my sheets.

He gently pulled the covers back. "Of course I do. You're my best friend." He placed a washcloth on my forehead that smelled faintly of green tea. "Here. Drink this."

I sat up and he held a cup of tea to my lips. The taste was unfamiliar, a mix that tasted slightly like cloves, honey, and oranges. Once the cup was empty, pressed me back onto the bed and lifted the covers up to my chest. I smiled up at him, feeling the balloon expand even further in my chest as I watched his face. His sea green eyes met mine, and they sparkled as he smiled. My own eyes fluttered shut, and while my breathing did not calm and my heart kept stuttering, I felt peaceful and happy.

As the world of dreams pulled me under and confused my mind, unsure of what was real and what was not, I just barely felt a feathery whisper of breath across my lips, and a soft touch of a kiss ghosted across my mouth. I felt a finger twine around a lock of my hair."Good night, Yaya," A voice whispered in my ear.

The world filled with oceanic twilight, and I was gone.

* * *

_Just for a second, close your eyes and breathe._

_It is 1987 in Osaka, Japan. You stand in the courtyard of Seiyo Academy. Seiyo has become a famous school known for its high test scores and the scholarship program with an uncanny ability to pick the students that become famous._

_Nighttime has fallen; the sky is dark, a smattering of stars just visible beneath thick grey clouds that reflect the moon's silvery glow. Lying in wait behind a bush, you rub a small gold key around your neck, knowing what is to come._

_You are dressed in lordly Renaissance clothes: red tunic, white leggings, a long sword. She is coming, and you must help her, no matter what the cost, or she will die._

_Every hair on your body raises. You get to your feet, crouching, ready to strike, and step out of the shadows and into the light, knowing it is not safe in darkness. Not where you'd be vulnerable to the monster's influence._

_You are Tsukasa Amakawa, and you are the first King._

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**Read and Review!**


	3. Date With the Cross Dresser!

** Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

** I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!, nor do I own the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Prince, or Justin Beiber.**

* * *

**Rima**

"You've got to be kidding me," I pouted and crossed my arms. "How did I get stuck with you?"

Kusukusu giggled from beside me, paying absolutely no attention and completely focused on Rhythm, who was staring back at her with adoring, mushy eyes. Temari was scolding the two of them like naughty children, sternly reprimanding them. According to Temari, they were the epitome of PDA. I ignored her telling them to 'get a room' and instead watched Nagihiko out of the corner of my eye, half admitting that I liked watching him and half trying to convince myself that I was only checking him out—uhh... I mean, watching him because I could. Or something.

Nagihiko sighed. "Why are you always so mean to me?"

"What—" I spluttered. " I am not mean to you! You're just annoying!"

"Yes, you are mean to me." He fixed me with an accusatory glare. "I try to be nice to you. I don't even think I did anything. Do you just hate me?"

I couldn't look him in the eye. "I don't hate you," I mumbled.

"Sure." He scoffed.

"I don't!" I sniffed. "You just… I don't know, I…uh…"

I was really regretting letting Amu walk herself home alone. Not that she didn't live in a safe neighborhood. It was that it meant that I would have to walk with Nagihiko. And I found that extremely awkward.

"Nothing." I walked faster, desperate to get home quickly so I didn't have to keep messing things up for myself. Hey, I can't help it! I just get like that around Nagihiko. And there's nothing I can do about it. I mean, come on! Even I can see that _maybe_ I might kind of, sort of have tiny feelings for him. I guess.

"…Rima! Are you even paying attention to me?"

"What? Did you say something?" I blinked.

"I said: why do you hate me?"

"I don't!" I huffed in exasperation. "I actually really like—" Whoops. "Um, really don't hate you." I willed myself not to turn red. Like always, the odds were against me.

"Great. Now you're going to yell at me."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. You always scrunch up your face like that and go red." He motioned to my face. "I notice more than you think, Rima."

I gasped. "You… you notice things about me?" Then I mentally slapped myself. Ah! No, no, I did not just say that!

"Um. Yes, I do notice things about you." For some strange reason, scarlet started creeping up his neck. "So what?"

"Nothing." I cleared my throat "So," I said uncomfortably, desperate to change the subject. "Since we're still here, why don't we..." I searched around in my head for something. "Go buy Tadase his presents?"

"I-I guess. But aren't we joining Amu and the others to go shopping for them tomorrow?"

Oh, yeah. "Well, I just, um, we're just out here, and the night's still young. What I mean is," I smacked myself internally again. Stupid, stupid! "We're so close to a lot of shops. And I still have money. So, why not? We can still go tomorrow." _Yeah, that works_. "It's not like we can't hang with everyone while they buy presents."

"S-sure," He stuttered, and I sighed in relief, then sobered. He'd been doing that a lot lately. I hoped it was nothing serious.

"Yeah. Uh, c'mon." Before I could lose my nerve, I grabbed his hand, hoping my palms were not sweating.

"'Kay," He mumbled.

"Are you all right?" I asked him, forgetting to erase the concern from my voice. "Your face is all red, and you're stuttering."

"Oh, look!" He pointed, avoiding my question. "There might be something for him in there." He pointed to a book store we had just passed.I decided to drop it. If it was important, he would tell me sooner or later. I think, if he didn't hate me.

"Tadase does read," I mused. "He's such a geek."

"Y-yes. Yes, he is." Nagihiko smiled, and I forced my heart not to melt completely and focus on not wobbling as we approached the bookstore.

We entered the store, the door tinkling as it shut slowly. It was neat and organized, looking classy and artistic. The floor was littered with specially placed tiles strategically broken. The walls were lined with alphabetized books, all nonfiction; filled with volume after volume, countless series, cookbooks, autobiographies, and self-help books. In the few empty spaces, colorful abstract paintings and designs covered the walls in paintings and frames. What was strange, and seemingly totally out of place, was a large, frighteningly lifelike tree trunk in the center of the place.

"Whoa…" I muttered, staring up at the ceiling. They had painted it to look as if you were standing underneath a large tree. If you walked to the other side of the trunk; a tall spiral staircase of wrought iron forming twisting vines and black and intricate blooming flowers and buds was hidden inside the fake trunk.

I inspected a poppy, one of the many red and pink flowers hand painted on the light green walls. The poppies were marvelously lifelike, as if I would feel silken petals and hairy stems if I only reached out to touch them. I could swear I just saw several flowers sway like a breeze had just touched them. I reached out my hand, almost brushing the wall.

"Rima," Nagihiko called from halfway up the stairs. I looked up and followed him up. rather large fiction section held large bookshelves shaped like tree stumps twisting out of the ground with carved out spaces, each filled with fiction titles, from bestseller teen novels like **_The Mortal Instruments_ series by Cassandra Clare**, to those funny romance novels my mother read in her spare times settled in the nearest tree. The whole floor looked as if Nagihiko and I had climbed up the tree trunk and stood on the branches. Even the floor was clear, branches painted on the ground that led to the different sections of the floor. I suddenly understood the layout of the store: it was supposed to be a garden underneath a large tree. I thought it was amazingly creative.

He led me over to the Teen section. "How about this?" Nagihiko held up a novel, grinning evilly.

I took the book from him. "**'_Twilight_ by Stephanie Meyer.'**" I looked up at him strangely. "I don't think so…" I pulled another novel from behind my back that I'd snatched upon first entering. "I think he'd like 'How to take Over the World' better." We both doubled over laughing, completely ignorant of the several dirty looks from the other customers.

"I love it!" Nagihiko reached for the book.

I jerked my arm back. "No, way! I'm getting this for him!"

"Aw, what? Now I have to find something else." He sighed dramatically. "What ever am I going to do?"

I punched him, laughing. "Come on, cross dresser. Let's find you something."

"Oh, no way." He gave me a dirty look. "Not if you call me a cross dresser I can find something myself. I'm sure he'd love..." He grabbed the nearest book. "**Justin Beiber's** autobiography."

"No!" I stole the book from him. "I want to buy that for myself!"

Nagi and I took one look at each other, and burst out laughing again.

"Excuse me!" A man, maybe the manager or something, hurried over. "If you can't be quiet, I'll have to ask you to leave!"

"Oh, no!" I handed him _'_How to take Over the World'. "I wanted to buy this. Too bad I don't have enough money to get him something else," I said ruefully to Nagi.

"Well, all right…" He smiled uncertainly. "But after you've gotten what you need, you should leave. You're scaring away my customers."

"All right." Nagi scanned the titles, and picked up one "I'll buy this…" He grabbed a shiny stiff bookmark covered in sparkles. I stifled a laugh. "It'll match his new book on world domination."

"Don't do that, Nagi," I objected. "You don't have to get that for me."

"Of course I do. How else will he be able to take breaks from learning how to become supreme dictator of the world and possibly the universe to hang out with his friends?" He smirked.

But—"

"Trust me. I got this."

"W-well, then let me pay you back." I fumbled in my purse, and then realized that I didn't have the money to pay him back. "Uhm…"

"It's all right. Just promise that you'll stop calling me 'cross dresser.'"

"Great," I teased him. "Now what am I supposed to call you?"

"Well, how about Nagi? Everyone else does."

"I don't know, I don't think I like it."

"But you just called me Nagi."

"I did?" I searched back and shrugged. "Okay, then."

"Good." He smiled widely at me, and I couldn't help but grin back. For what seemed like forever, I couldn't—didn't want to—look away.

The manager—store owner—whatever, cleared his throat. I looked back at him, strangely annoyed. "Yes?"

"Your book." He handed it to me in a small paper bag with a green tree design on its front. "Oh, and try to recycle that," He added.

"Good. Thank you sir," Nagi said politely. "I wish you a fine evening." He slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it lightly. I jumped and blushed.

"Well, good evening to you too, sir and madam." The man shooed us out of the store. He chuckled as Nagi opened the door. I just caught him saying quietly to himself, "What a cute couple."

"That was a nice shop," Nagi commented.

"Yes, it was." I struggled to keep my voice normal. For once, the universe was not against Rima Mashiro, and Rima smiled. And then forced herself to stop talking to herself in third person, because she was not an egotistical maniac and she shouldn't—I mean, I shouldn't be thinking so crazily.

"Now we just have to find my gift." He sighed. "I think if we don't find anything, I may just have to go back and buy him the Justin Beiber biography."

"Ah, I don't know. I think we'll find something he would like better elsewhere." I grinned.

"If you say so."

We strode down the street hand in hand and side by side, the night air suddenly less chilly. In fact, the night sky and the stars appearing seemed to shine a bit brighter than I'd remembered, the cool breeze rustling softly through our long hair welcoming as the smell of summer nights descended upon us. I barely even noticed our whispering guardian characters.

* * *

"_When are we going to act?" Temari pouted behind her fan. "Stop that!" She snapped at Kusukusu and Rhythm, who were making kissy faces at each other. They looked up at her, as if surprised to see her there. "Shouldn't we be doing something?"_

_Kusukusu shrugged. "I think they're doing fine on their own. I mean, look at them! They're holding hands!"_

"_Yes. Shouldn't we act to keep them like this? What if they argue?"_

"_We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Rhythm smiled at Temari. "We shouldn't mess with what's already perfect. Be patient, Imouto."_

_Temari huffed. "I am not your Imouto. I hatched before you did."_

"_Technically, you hatched, and then went back into your egg, and then I hatched. And then you hatched."_

"_I recall that we hatched at the same time. And that does not matter, because I hatched before you ever existed."_

"_Hold a second!" Kusukusu paused. "Where'd they go?"_

_In the charas' conversation, they had lost track of Rima and Nagihiko._

"_I see them!" Rhythm cried. "Look! They're in the music shop!" He pointed across the street, which was currently filled with rushing cars, to a large store filled with rack after rack of every album and music artist you could think of, and more._

"_Quick! Follow them!" Kusukusu shouted. She zoomed to the edge of the sidewalk, trying to find a safe way to cross._

"_My kimono will get dirty," Temari grumbled._

* * *

"Are you sure he likes Prince?" Nagi asked doubtfully. "Tadase seems more like the type to listen to classical music. Like Bach or Mozart or something."

"Trust me on this one." I tapped the Prince CD. "I know he'll love it."

"You know, just because he's called 'Prince' doesn't mean Tadase will like it."

"No, I'm totally sure he likes Prince. I remember we were laughing at him because the only reason he started listening to Prince was because of the name. I remember he said he liked it."

Nagi shrugged. "Fine. I trust you."

"Good." I bumped him wih my arm. "You better."

"Or else you'll do something to me that'll lose my trust in you?"

I scrunched up my face at him. "Yes."

The shop door opened with a tinkle, and several loud, happy college age kids staggered in, laughing raucously. They were all drunk.

"Oh, dear." I stifled a nervous chuckle. "Maybe we should hurry up and get out of here."

"Ahhh!" I heard several tiny yells from behind me that sounded familiar. Kusukusu, Temari, and Rhythm all flew smack into me and hid behind my long hair.

"Where have you guys been?" I asked suspiciously.

"Hey, little lady!" One of the drunken men yelled in my direction. "You! Yeah, you." He slurred his words and stumbled towards me.

I stepped back in disgust. "Please go away."

"Aw, don' be like that..." He reached out towards me, and Nagihiko stepped in front of me defensively.

"Hey, man. Don't hit on my girlfriend like that." I glanced up at him from the corner of my eye. He looked so confident I doubted the drunks could tell he was lying. "We're just having fun. Plus, you're drunk. My lady doesn't like drunks."

"I'm not drunk. You're drunk." He waved us off. "Who says she don't wanna leave you? I'm a fun guy."

"How old are you?"

"Uh… twenty-somethin'? Three? Four… five, six seven eight…" He sang.

"She's…" He glanced at me, as if trying to decide how young I could pass for. "six… uh, fourteen. You don't want to hit on a fourteen year-old, do you?"

"Yeah. Plus, she's a lesbian…" He eyed Nagihiko. "Girl hair. Thought you were a guy. Hair's too long." He mumbled. "C'mon," He left the store along with the other giggling drunks.

I opened my mouth angrily, to say Nagi was _too_ a guy, but he held me back and gave me a look to leave it. "Let's get out of here," Nagi raised the Prince CD. "I have a present for Tadase."

"That was kind of scary," I confessed. "What if you'd gotten hurt?" I found my toes very interesting.

"You were worried about me?" Nagi sounded breathless. He probably had been scared too, but I didn't dare look up again.

"Yeah. Well," I held up my shopping bag, "I've got my present, you've got yours… why don't we go home? I've had a long night."

"That sounds like a good idea." Nagihiko took my hand again, and I dared to smile up at him again. "This was fun."

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm a fun guy." I gave him a look. "Too soon, huh? Well, I thought it was funny."

"You're hilarious," I said sacrastically.

"So hurtful!" He put a hand to his heart and gave me puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes. I am the queen of mean. Get used to it."

He laughed. "I don't think you're mean," He grinned.

"Yeah, well…"

Kusukusu popped up from some spot in my thick hair. "Rima! The time!" She cried. Rhythm gasped and began hovering in circles around Nagihiko's head.

Temari fretted behind her fan, "What time is it? Will we be late going home?"

I pulled my small locket, round and silver with a long chain and a silver butterfly adorning it, out from its hiding place in my shirt and popped it open. "Wow. It's around nine. I gotta get home!"

"So do I." He sounded surprised. "My mom's going to kill me…"

"And my mom's going to lock me up in a safe inside a vault inside a tower more secure than Rapunzel's. Run!"

Hand in hand, clutching our bags, we raced as fast as possible towards our home.

Being unfortunately limited in anything that dealt with athleticism, I was soon out of breath by the time my house came into view. Thank goodness Nagihiko never noticed, or else he might've carried me the rest of the way, because that's just the gentleman he is. (And no, I was NOT enjoying that idea!)

"You all right?" Nagihiko said, only slightly out of breath. And damn it, he still looked unfairly gorgeous, with not a wrinkle in his clothes or a hair out of place.

"Yeah," I said, managing to keep the breathlessness out of my voice. "That was cool, Nagihiko. I had a fun time."

"So did I. Maybe we'll do this again." We grinned at each other. "I'm glad you don't hate me," He said in a softer voice.

"Me too," I said breathlessly. _Damn_ it!

"Oh, you don't hate yourself either?"

"Shut up." Kusukusu giggled from beside me, and I snatched her up and held her captive in my grip. She struggled frantically, trying to pull my fingers from her mouth. I hesitated, unsure of what to do next. "Well…" I held out my other hand, feeling awkward.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a quick hug. I turned crimson. "I hope we can be friends," I heard him say softly. Rhythm muttered something and snickered, and then stopped and squealed abruptly, as if someone very small that wore a kimono had kicked him.

"Of course." I tried to control my voice. And my legs, which were shaking badly.

"Good night, Rima." He released me, strangely red-faced, and ran off, shouting over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow!"

"Good night!" I called after him. I watched him run off into the distance. A stupid smile spread across my face. I floated all the way inside and up the stairs, completely oblivious to my mother's frantic questions on where the heck I'd been and how glad she was that that long-haired boy had brought me home safely, and her fretting on how she should have implanted a GPS system inside my head or something when I was a baby. I was only thinking about how nice he had smelled, and how comforting his embrace had been, and just exactly how close we had been, (which was very close) and wondering if he'd ever hug me like that again…

And then I realized.

_Did we just go on a date?_

* * *

"_It's a good thing we didn't actually do anything," Rhythm huffed as he tried to keep with Nagi but was falling far behind. Temari only glided slowly. "If we interfered, we might have messed something up."_

"_I suppose so. But they obviously still need help. They can barely even hold hands and hug each other. I doubt they could do so when the others are around."_

"_At least now they'll probably civil to each other," Rhythm argued, watching as Nagihiko ran farther and farther away._

"_They still need help. In fact, I have a plan…"She giggled girlishly and whispered in Rhythm's ear._

_He looked at her with surprise. "That could work!"_

"_Don't sound so surprised. We can tell the other charas tomorrow. But we don't have the time to waste. We have to put phase one into action!"_

_Temari and Rhythm, abandoning the quickly disappearing Nagihiko, rose high into the air and across two blocks, over a tall wall surrounding the Fujisaki mansion, narrowly avoiding the tree and pushing the doorbell._

"_Hello?" Mrs. Fujisaki answered the door. Seeing no one there, she frowned slightly and peeked around the door. She brandished a naginata threateningly, muttering frightening things about the horrors that would rain down on any vandals or harmful trespassers that came to the Fujisaki mansion. Rhythm and Temari slipped inside before she could close the door, and raced to Nagihiko's room, straining to push the door shut._

"_Quick, does he still have Rima's Facebook page up on his computer?"_

"_No, he closed it…"_

"_Drat. What about her Twitter page?"_

"_No… but I don't think he'll notice if we pull them both up, right? He's always stalking her, and sometimes he forgets to close the pages."_

"_Good idea,"_

_Rhythm re-opened the pages and pulled up Rima's Fabook page, searching the timeline._

"_It's got to say somewhere about something she likes…" Rhythm danced around on the keyboard while Temari inspected the screen. "Aha! Stop on February 6th."_

"_Look!" Rhythm pointed to a picture of a smiling Rima holding up a bouquet of white roses, surrounded by her friends and even both of her parents, who wore forced smiles on their faces and were obviously only standing each other for their daughter._

**Happy birthday to me!**

"_I sure hope she likes white roses," Rhythm whispered. _

_The sound of the door opening and closing broke the two out of their calm state, and they rushed around the room, frantic for a place to hide themselves and then reappear at his side without their absence being noticed._

"_Mother, I'm fine. Yes, I know I have dance practice early tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be up and well rested by then. No, I'm not hurt."_

_The sound of footsteps came closer on the wooden floor to the open door, and the two guardian characters both hid behind the door._

"_So much for coming in undetected, huh, guys?" Nagihiko said over his shoulder._

_The two hurriedly floated down to his other shoulder. "Maybe we should've come in through the window?" Rhythm said gloomily._

"_Nah, it's locked…" He frowned at his laptop, which was sitting open and running. "What the…" He muttered. The two guardian characters stiffened, but Nagihiko didn't notice._

"_I guess I left this open." Nagihiko blushed slightly. "I feel like a stalker…"_

"_That's because you are a stalker!" Temari said cheerfully._

_Nagihiko sagged. "Yeah… I wonder what she would say if she ever found out? Not that I'd ever let her find out that I… you know."_

"_Rhythm shrugged. "She seemed pretty into you."_

"_Really?" Nagihiko perked up. "You think so?"_

"_Yeah. I mean, she let you hold her hand and defend her. She even let you hug her. You were both quite the flirts." Rhythm winked._

"_Heh. I guess." Nagihiko looked pleased. "I kind of feel as if she and I… maybe we could at least be friends."_

"_Look!" Temari interrupted. "It's her birthday picture! Roses!"_

"_What?" Nagihiko looked at the picture on the screen and smiled as he saw Rima. "She looks pretty, doesn't she?"_

_Temari sighed. "No, Nagi. Look at the roses. Her gift. She likes roses."_

"_Hmm?" Nagihiko thought for a second. "Maybe I should get her some for her next birthday?'_

"_Why wait?" Rhythm urged. "You could give her a gift tomorrow!"_

"_No…" The guardian characters cursed internally. "I think maybe she'd realize that I liked her. I don't think she has any interest in me. I'm lucky she was so nice just now." He looked dreamy. "I gave her a hug… And we held hands… She smelled so good… Ouch!"_

_Temari had whacked him on the head with her fan. "Don't be a scent pervert," She scolded. "If you're not going to give her some flowers now, then when are you going to give her any gift of affection?"_

"_I don't know. Rima doesn't really seem like the type to enjoy those kind of gifts." Nagihiko was losing interest. "And like I said, she doesn't like me like that."_

"_How about for Obon? Everyone can get a gift for Obon, but you can give her roses. She wouldn't even notice you got her something special, because everyone will get a gift."_

"_That's a good idea!" Nagihiko jumped up. "Subtle. What kind of roses do you think she'd like?"_

"_How about white roses?" Rhythm suggested._

"_No, those are too common…" He pursed his lips. "Oh! Maybe if I can find blue roses…"_

"_Blue roses? But those are kind of expensive, don't you think? That could be around 6000 yen at the least!"_

_Nagihiko waved his hand dismissively. "It's not that expensive. Or at least, it won't be once I get a job."_

"_Nagihiko, you don't have any experience! You'll only be paid minimum wage! Why don't you just ask your mother for money?" Temari worried. This was going a little far. "Once she knows it's for a girl, she'll lend you the money. And more, probably, so you can buy the finest Belgian chocolates."_

"_No," Nagihiko said firmly. "It's not as meaningful that way. But you're right, actually," Nagihiko smiled, patting Temari and Rhythm on their heads, "She'd let me do anything for a girl, even let me get a job… And maybe I should get Belgian chocolates as well…"_

"_Will you even have enough money to pay for the blue roses as well as your friends' gifts by Obon?"_

"_I think so, anyways. Besides, I have allowance money."_

_Rhythm was agitated. "She probably would notice if you got her the Belgian chocolates with the roses. I would just stick to the bouquet."_

"_Yeah, yeah, sure!" Nagihiko was excited. He ran downstairs again. Immediately upon speaking, voices rang out loud and clear:_

"_Oh, my goodness! Are you sure you don't need my help? Maybe some Belgian chocolates would be nice."_

"_No, Mother. I can get all this myself. I can get a job. There should be enough money in my account."_

"_Well, at least let me help pay for your other friends."_

"_Mother—"_

"_I insist. You need all the help you can get…"_

"_So much for subtlety," Temari sighed._

"_You're telling me," Rhythm grumbled. "We're going to need some help here… We have to talk to the others tomorrow…"_

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	4. Ikuto Goes Shopping!

******Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Amu**

Rays of sunlight poked through the gap between my curtains and rested on my pillow, just inches away from resting on my face and disturbing my peaceful sleep. The soft sounds of the morning, of birds chirping and the rush of clean morning air, were distant.

_"AMU-CHI! AMU-CHI! WAKE UP!"_

I jolted awake with a gasp as Ran, Miki, and Su danced around my head, laughing and chattering in my ears.

"Time to wake up, time to get ready!" Ran chanted.

"Ran! How many times have I told you to stop waking my up so early?" I said angrily.

Su giggled. "But it's nine-thirty, Amu!"

"You're supposed to meet Yaya and Rima at the mall in half an hour." Miki reminded me. "If you don't get out of bed now, you'll be late."

I sat up quickly. "WHAT? Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Ahh!" I leapt out of bed and frantically searched through my drawers for something to wear. "I need an outfit, I need to shower, and I haven't eaten breakfast…"

"I've already got your outfit planned." Miki chuckled.

"I made you breakfast!" Su declared.

"I supervised!" Ran cheered.

"So you really weren't that helpful…" I sweatdropped.

"As much help as Dia…" The other two guardian characters sighed in unison.

A large crash sounded from the kitchen, and the four of us rushed downstairs. "What's going on?" I shouted.

"Amu, help me!" Dia was trapped, wriggling and waving her arms wildly, kicking and trying to escape. "I was guarding the food, and Ami came downstairs with Suzu! She's gone mad!"

Ami, fully dressed in her Seiyo Elementary outfit and Guardian cloak, turned to me. She was exasperated. "I can't get her to let go of Dia."

"You've got to be kidding me…" I sighed. "Not again, Ami!"

"I'm sorry!" She wailed. "I didn't know she was down here!"

Ami's guardian character, Suzu, was laughing joyfully as she hugged Dia's middle, unwilling to relinquish her grip on my unfortunate guardian character. Suzu, a lovely guardian character with long auburn hair in a fishtail braid down her right shoulder, wore a pretty white halter dress and a black headpiece spangled with a shining silvery star design that was on her cheek, microphone, and black ballet shoes. Her eyes, like large pieces of amber, shone with happiness as she clung to Dia.

"Onee-san!" She cried.

For whatever strange reason, lately Suzu's cute, flirty and feisty personality was thrown right out the window whenever she saw Dia, who she seemed to think was her older sister. Suzu loved cuddling, especially giving crushing hugs that, according to my guardian characters, were tighter than if an angry grizzly bear hugged you. Dia, however, is NOT a touchy-feely kind of guardian character. I'm not even kidding when I say this dilemma just happened out of nowhere a few weeks ago.

"Look! Something shiny!" Dia shouted and pointed.

"Ooh! Where?" Suzu turned to find it, (she was also slightly naïve and easily distracted) and Dia slid out of her grip. She rushed to hide behind Amu, along with Ran and Miki.

Su, of course, rushed forward to distract her. "Would you like a hug?"

"That would be awesome!" Suzu reverted back to her usual cool self and embraced Su, causing Su's eyes to pop out. She began to whimper and struggle frantically. Her mouth was moving frantically in my direction. I assumed she was trying to tell us to help her.

"All right, all right, Suzu, that's enough." Ami and I managed to separate the two. Su popped free, and flew off to find my other guardian characters, Suzu calling for her to wait up.

I turned back to Ami. "So, how are you doing?" I questioned.

"All right, I guess. It's kind of boring, you know. I have nothing to do." She looked up at me. "I know that hunting X-Eggs wasn't exactly fun for you, but I have nothing to do! I feel kind of useless."

I smiled and ruffled her hair, and she protested, trying to protect her French braids. "You're such a cute Imouto, you know that?"

She laughed. "That's the best compliment you've ever given me."

"What? That is totally not true! How many times have I told you that you were pretty or smart or cool?"

"Well…"

"Shut up." I smacked the back of her head, and she snickered.

"Eh, I've got to go. See you later, Onee-san!"

"Bye, Imouto!"

Gosh, she was just growing up so fast…

I climbed the stairs quickly, and rushed into my room. My guardian characters were whispering with Suzu. I grabbed my clothes and rushed into the bathroom.

Wait…

I paused, glancing around the corner of my bathroom door in suspicion. Something wasn't quite right…

I shook my head. I had to get ready! I was going to be late!

* * *

_Suzu sighed in relief as Amu slammed the door to her bathroom shut. "That was close. I thought she'd caught us right there."_

"_I know, I know." Ran nodded nervously. "I was so sure she'd figured it out."_

"_Sorry if I hurt you or anything," Suzu told Dia and Su. "I kinda got carried away." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly._

"_Don't worry," Su said cheerily. "I actually rather enjoyed that!"_

_Dia laughed. "Me, too! I didn't hurt you, though, did I?"_

"_Nah, I'm fine. But was it enough time to send a text to Ikuto?"_

_Ran nodded happily, attempting to keep a grip on the phone, which was as big as she was. "I got an answer, too!"_

_Miki snatched the phone from her and displayed the phone to the other characters. "Well, let us see!"_

**we r throwin surprise bday party 4 tadase. can u come? –Amu**

**Of course! When and where do I need to be? –Ikuto**

_The other three stared at Ran strangely. "Where exactly did you learn to spell, Ran?" Miki asked._

"_Spelling isn't important in a text, Miki!" Ran huffed. "Besides, this is how Amu texts!"_

"_Send something back." Suzu urged. "He's got to have an answer. Judging by the reaction time of his text added to further evidence based on Amu's physical actions, I would judge that their relationship is slightly unstable. Thinking psychologically, it is likely that while our subject has strong feelings for Ikuto, she is unable or unwilling to reveal her emotions that would normally secure a healthy romantic relationship._

"_Knowing that they have been communicating this way for some years, his confidence that she cares for him romantically would become fragile enough that most likely a sign of disinterest, as in not including him in an event, would be damaging to—why are you guys looking at me like that? Just because I'm a singer doesn't mean I'm not interested in anything else, you know."_

"_Well, okay then," Miki muttered._

_Suzu typed in a quick response. "Still…planning...Where are they planning again?"_

"_Cherry Tree Mall at the restaurant Karai!"_

_She typed the information in and shoved against the SEND button with all her might. "There! That should be good enough."_

_Ran snatched the phone back. "Now help me delete it!"_

"_Why?" Miki was mystified._

"_Because if Amu looks through her texts, she'll see a conversation with Ikuto that happened while she was in the shower. She'll know something's up." Suzu scrolled through the phone and hit DELETE for all three messages._

"_AH!" The door to the bathroom door banged open, and they shrieked and hid under the bed, Ran, Miki, Su and Dia forgetting that it wasn't strange for them to be in Amu's room. "I feel so awake now!" Amu stretched her arms. "Where's my outfit?"_

* * *

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late!" I hurried over to where Rima, Yaya and Utau were standing. "I woke up late."

"That's fine. Since we were waiting, I decided to get Tadase this." Utau held out a yellow bento box shaped like a crown. "I saw this and knew he'd be embarrassed!"

"Uh… why'd you get him something so that he'd be embarrassed?" I asked.

She laughed. "First of all, Amu, he's going to love it. Being embarrassed is how you can tell he loves it. He thinks that a great gift means that others know him too well. Thinks it means he's transparent. Second, I'm totally allowed to embarrass him. I'm practically his older sister."

"But he is transparent!" Rima snickered.

"Hey, by the way, where are Ran, Miki, Su and Dia?" Utau glanced around me. "I would've thought they'd have come with you to hang out with the other guardian characters."

"They said they had something to do," I said vaguely. "Yesterday we decided they were probably in love or something."

"That's definitely it," Rima nodded. "KusuKusu is gone, too. Probably off with Rhythm."

"How cute!" Utau chuckled. "Wonder if that ever happened with El and Il." She sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?"

"I miss them, Amu. They've been gone for so long. I never thought I'd miss their bickering."

I patted her shoulder and felt just as depressed. "At least you won't be alone for much longer. I'm sixteen, and so are Rima, Tadase, and Nagihiko."

"Yeah..."

"Well, are we ready to shop?" I asked brightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Where's Nagihiko?"

Surprisingly, Rima spoke up. "Nagi says that since we were both late home, his mom told him he'll have to be at dance practice longer, so he's going to meet us for lunch."

"Late? But how come you guys didn't get home in time? An hour is enough to walk a couple blocks, right?"

"He and I both found presents for him, so we're good." She smiled. "I got him a cute little book. It's called, _'How to Take Over the World.'_ Nagi got him a _Prince_ CD."

"When did you get a present for him?" I was incredulous. "Where did you find the time?"

"Oh…" Pink flooded her cheeks. "Uh, Nagihiko and I decided to go shopping after you left. Together. Just as friends," She added.

"Sure, Rima." I tried not to laugh. "Let's start at the fifth floor and work our way down."

We set off at a brisk pace, laughing and chattering, the floor clacking and squeaking slightly under our shoes. After dismissing several clothing shops, book stores, and restaurants from consideration, the conversation turned.

"…So, Yaya, you're pretty quiet. Is something up?" Rima was concerned.

It was true. Yaya had been silent since we'd first started shopping, only vaguely following us with a strange look on her face. She looked slightly frazzled, as well. Her eyes were filled with stress, her walk slowed, shoulders slumped… what exactly was going on?

"…Are you okay, Yaya?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and mumbled, "I don't want to talk about it."

Utau bumped her with her shoulder. "Hey, you know you can tell us anything. We'll understand."

Yaya glanced up, her eyes confused and worried. "Guys… I think… I think…" She lowered her voice. "…I think you guys were right. I…" She gulped. "I think I do like Kairi."

"…Wait, what?" I froze. Rima, Utau and I pulled to a stop. "You do? Yaya, we were just joking! Seriously?" I giggled. The three of us squealed and jumped on her. "That's awesome!"

She stood still. "I…"

Utau broke away. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

"… He…"

We froze. "He didn't do anything to you, did he? Because we can kill him for you, if he—"

"No, it's not like that." She shook her head. "Um… I was, you know, all red faced and that kind of stuff…"

"And?" I prompted.

"He thought I was sick, and he carried me home and took care of me… And then I…"

"What? Spit it out!" Rima begged. "I'm dying here!"

"… I don't know, I was half asleep and dreaming… But I think I dreamt that he kissed me."

"Oh." We looked at her strangely. "And… you didn't tell him you like him? Haven't called him? Aren't going out with him?"

"Of course not!" She snapped, suddenly harsh. I raised my eyebrows. "It's just a crush. I'll get over it."

"Yaya… I don't think that's a good way to—"

"Look, it's really not your problem. I can handle it. I've dealt with unrequited… love. And it's not love!" She said hastily.

"Yaya—"

"Hey, Amu!" A _very_ familiar voice called out.

I froze. And blushed. And failed miserably trying to hide it.

Two arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt someone's cheek rest on top of my head for a brief second.

"Hey, guys," Ikuto panted. "I got here as fast as I could. It's a good thing I was in town. Hey, shrimp." Rima stuck her tongue out playfully at him. "Hey, sugar." Yaya managed a smile. "Hello, Imouto!" Ikuto hugged his little sister and ruffled her hair. "You've all sure grown up!" He said cheerfully. "So, where are we planning this shindig for little Tadase?"

"Hey, Ikuto! Great to see you!" Utau smiled, pleasantly surprised. "I didn't know you were coming. Or that you knew about the surprise party."

"Oh, yeah! Amu texted me this morning. Funny, I kind of assumed that there would be more kids… Little King has more friends than this!"

"I didn't text you this morning!" I protested. "At least, I don't think so."

Utau shrugged. "You might've. Your memory isn't exactly the best."

"Yeah…" I wasn't so sure. I was rather sure that I'd remember texting the sexy guy that I was in love with. But Utau was right, so I set that aside.

"Anyways," Rima said. "We haven't actually gotten to planning the shindig yet. We actually were searching for presents for him. The party-planning comes later. But you can join us for shopping, if you want. Have you gotten him a present yet?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Ikuto grinned. "Did you guys forget his birthday?"

Utau laughed. "They did, not me! I got him a crown-shaped bento box."

"Ah, he'll love it!" He laughed.

"I did not forget his birthday!" Rima protested. "It… just wasn't at the top of my list of things to remember."

"Sure, shrimp." Ikuto ruffled her hair.

"Hey!" She waved him off, frantically trying to fix her mussed hairdo. Readjusting her hair band, she gave him a deathly look. If looks were weapons, Ikuto would be a pile of dust. Very sexy dust.

"Well, that was a dirty look!" Ikuto laughed. "Ouch! Is someone a bit grouchy without her purple-haired boyfriend here?"

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Rima said loudly. "We're just friends!"

"Sure you are. And Amu is not madly in love with me." He winked at me and kissed my cheek.

I would have argued, except the stupid perverted kitty cosplay boy was making it very hard for me to breathe, so I could do nothing more than turn strawberry red and stutter uncontrollably.

"I-I d-don't like y-you, stupid!" I whacked him on the head. "P-pervert!"

"You didn't call me a pervert the first time I kissed you," sang Ikuto.

"Yes, I did!" I said angrily. "You stole my first nose kiss!"

He grinned evilly. "Oh, no, _Amu_," He purred my name, and I gulped and forced my legs to stop shaking. "I meant that _other_ one."

Utau came to my rescue. "All right, all right, enough. Ikuto, stop messing around with Amu. We've got stuff to do."

"All right, Mother, keep you hair on."

She snorted. "What did you even get him?"

Ikuto produced a small box. "The world's finest fruit tarts. Or so that Parisan said."

"You've got to be kidding me." Rima looked at him incredulously. "Seriously?"

"And they weren't cheap, mind you." He smiled fondly. "And all for…" He waved the box in front of Yaya, who was once again lost in her thoughts and ignored him completely. "My favorite little king." He frowned. "What's up with you?"

"Yaya blinked. "Hmm?"

"I just waved a box of sweets in your face. Sweets! Are you sick or something?" He grinned, unaware he was stepping into a minefield. "Perhaps lovesick?"

"It's really none of your business." For the first time since I had met Yaya, she had become completely closed off. Her face, her body language, was entirely drained of emotion. Her eyes were dead. She might as well have been a talking mannequin. It was the scariest poker face I had ever seen, because the normally expressive, passionate girl I was used to was suddenly gone.

Kukai appeared behind Utau. "Hello!" He kissed her on the cheek gently. "Hey, guys. Just got out of soccer practice and skateboarded here as quickly as possible. Hey, Ikuto! Good to see you, man. So—" He stopped. "What's going on?"

Yaya's expression didn't change. "Nothing. Let's go shopping shall we?" Her voice was nonchalant, and yet still empty somehow. She looked away and began walking, appearing unconcerned as to whether or not we were following her.

"Uh…" Ikuto looked at the rest of us in surprise. "Did I say something?"

* * *

_Your name is Akira, and you are the first Joker._

_Sweat drips down your forehead and into your stinging eyes. With burning muscles and heavy shoulders, you know you are close to passing out. You must finish this quickly. With a cry and a leap, you vault over the monster, gripping the twin blades in your hands tight as you slash at the demon in a wide curve. It shrieks in agony, a metallic, ancient sound. And then you run for your life._

_It flies through the shadows after you, snarling dark magic words in a whisper as you sprint across the grounds. You must make it to the front of the school, to where he lies in wait._

_If you two fail, there is no hope._

* * *

**Read and Review! **


	5. Nagihiko Runs From a Mob!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nagihiko**

_The guardian characters were sitting on the top of a short boxwood hedge, conversing quietly and glancing across the street at a bookstore called "Comes From Trees."_

"_C'mon, guys," Temari whispered. "We have to put Operation Rimahiko into effect!"_

"_I find this idea silly and inconsequential," Kiseki grumbled. Instead of sitting on the hedge, he was floating pompously over the other charas' heads. "I find my own schemes are much more important."_

"_That's what you say to every idea that isn't yours," Miki rolled her eyes. "Now, are you going to help or not?"_

_Kiseki glowered for another second, and then crawled over to where the rest of the guardian characters sat hunched._

"_Do we remember the plan?" Rhythm asked._

"_Yeah! Yeah!" Ran cheered._

"_You repeated it several times…" Musashi sighed. "So yes, I do believe we know the plan."_

"_Well, it's not very hard, is it? Just keep Nagihiko from being spotted by his friends." Temari nodded._

"_And make sure no one finds out he got a job to earn enough money to buy Rima flowers," Kusukusu said excitedly. "Oh, Rima will love them! After she stops yelling at him." She snickered._

"_Um… Shouldn't we get going?" Su asked innocently. "Nagihiko should be finishing up at that bookstore, yes?"_

"_Ah! You're right!" Temari gasped. "We need to get going! Hurry!"_

_The guardian characters followed a fretting Temari as she raced off to the bookstore Rima and Nagihiko had shopped in just the night before. _

_They reached the door and shoved their way inside, panting from the extreme effort of opening a door. Quickly and quietly, they all flew to the cashier's desk, just as Nagihiko came out from the Women's bathroom in a crisp white shirt, looking extremely frazzled._

* * *

I have traveled to a different country to study dance and practice in front of hundreds of people. I've had a whole other identity. I'm no stranger to hard work. But never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine just how embarrassing it is to clean a Women's bathroom.

"That toilet better be sparkling!" The store manager hollered at me as I clocked my time card. "Otherwise it's coming out of your paycheck!"

"Yes, sir," I said wearily. He turned his back. I almost chuckled as he grumbled about my incompetence and idiocy, muttering death threats under his breath. He may act like an ass, but he took me on right away the second I asked for a job. He's even paying me minimum wage. Of course, that may be because I'd dressed like a girl and become 'Nadeshiko'. I had mastered sweet, manipulative girlishness right away, which wasn't quite something I wanted anyone to know, but it sure helped when I needed it.

"Thank you, sir," I called, trying to flatten my hair.

"Yeah, yeah, be quiet," He growled. "Now get out of here. You're in the way of my customers."

"Yes, sir!" I felt bone tired. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and sighed. When I'd first walked in at six in the morning, exhausted, he'd given me the task of shining that metal staircase for an hour, and then to re-alphabetize every book in the store for three hours until the store finally opened. After playing cashier for an hour, he'd had me unclog a toilet in the women's bathroom and scrub it down for half an hour.

"Nagihiko!" Out of the blue, Temari and Rhythm were in my face.

"Hey, guys! Where have you been all morning?"

"Nowhere special! Now follow us!"

"What? Okay!" Before I knew it, I was chasing after my two guardian characters down the street. "Where are we going?" I hollered.

"To the mall!"

"Wait, what? But I'm still dressed like a girl!"

"Just trust us!" Temari cried. She smiled sweetly at me, which of course was not reassuring at all.

"But I need to change!"

"We'll handle it!" Rhythm called, giving me another not-so-reassuring smile that was just like Temari's.

I followed them warily; unsure of what exactly they were up to.

* * *

_Temari and Rhythm raced ahead in front of Nagihiko, eyes darting here and there._

"_We have to time this perfectly," Temari muttered. "We have to get him dressed back into his normal clothes, and then bring him back out. That should give us enough time to get out of here to bring his stuff home and get back here in time to plan Tadase's party."_

'_Too late and his friends will see Nagi coming out of the store with us carrying his clothes…" Rhythm frowned. "Do we have enough time?"_

"_Not if we don't hurry! Go, go!"_

_The two guardian characters rushed up ahead and zoomed through the busy mall parking lot, narrowly avoiding cars and waiting at the front door for Nagihiko. He arrived seconds after them, frowning in confusion and luckily not out of breath (He is a dancer, after all.)_

"_I don't—"_

"_Come on!" Temari motioned him forward and he pushed the doors open. She and Rhythm zoomed off into the mall, Nagihiko right behind them. They zoomed up several flights of tiled stairs and onto the second floor landing, flying to the nearest store._

_Nagihiko paused to look nervously around him. The mall was clean and modern, with each of its five floors tiled with black and white and well organized. The fast food courts on the bottom floor and the classier restaurants on the fifth. Second was the children's floor, filled with toy stores and clothing store for younger kids as well as a few coffee booths for the parents. Third floor was filled with teen shops of all sorts, while the fourth was, obviously, the adult section. In short, the mall was huge. But with his friends roaming around the Cherry Tree Mall, the mall suddenly felt as small as a cardboard box._

_The two guardian characters slowed and floated into the nearest shop, glancing around nervously and drifting over to the farthest dressing room._

_A pair of green eyes poked over the stall. "Um… password, please?" A sweet voice asked._

"_Su, it's Temari and Rhythm. Open up!"_

"_Oh, okay!" The latch clicked open, and the stall door opened. "Come in, come in!"_

"_Nagi!" Temari called over her shoulder. "Get over here!"_

_Nagihiko, walked over to the stall. "What's going on? Why am I here?"_

"_Just get in the stall! It'll all make sense!"_

"_No. I want to know why you dragged me here. I'm not getting into that stall."_

_Nagihiko's two charas looked at each other. Rhythm shrugged. "Okay, dude. We didn't want it to come to this, but if you insist." He turned and peeked over the stall. "Guys! Code Purple!"_

_With a bang the stall door burst open, and suddenly Nagihiko had a crowd of charas attacking him._

"_Get him!" yelled Rhythm._

"_Wait, what? Ow!—What the—"_

_And with that, Nagihiko was pushed forward and locked in the stall._

"_Sorry, man!" Rhythm shouted. "Now get changed! Your clothes are in the duffel bag next to you."_

"_Let me out!" Nagi pounded on the door, shouting angrily and shaking the door with all his might._

_An employee hurried over. "Sir, are you all right?"_

_The door stopped trembling. "Yes, I'm fine." Nagi's voice was slightly muffled, although obviously irritated._

_Temari and Rhythm floated over the stall. "Sorry about that, bro," Rhythm rubbed the back of his head sheepishly._

"_Are you going to tell me why you brought me to the mall locked me in a dressing stall?" Nagihiko ground his teeth together. "Because I'd really like to know why you're acting up."_

_Temari giggled. "To help you, Nagi! Of course, silly."_

"_What?" He was dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"_

_A chara poked her head over the edge of the stall. "Well, think about it! If you were at dance practice like you said, you'd be here by now! The time it takes for you to practice combined with the time to get to the mall and find your friends is still less than the time you spent at work. You were already going to be late, but if you'd have walked home and changed out and then driven here, you'd be even later. And it'd be suspicious."_

"…_I didn't understand a word you just said. Who are you?"_

"_I'm Suzu, remember?" Suzu huffed. "You'd think that you would remember me. You'd probably be almost an hour late. Remember, it takes forty-five minutes for you to walk home from work. Temari says you had to wake up at around four to leave at five and get to work at six. And you're exhausted. And—"_

"_And that means we're your helpers!" Ran floated up over the stall and settled on the top of the door, along with the rest of the guardian characters._

"_Yeah, I get it. You're trying to help me." Nagihiko sighed. "And you couldn't tell me before? It'd probably have saved time not having to explain everything."_

"_Well, obviously, we had to tell the other charas, which took forever, so we never really got the chance."_

"_But—"_

"_Listen up!" Kiseki floated over. "You're wasting time asking questions. You need to get ready! My other servants shall be here shortly. You must get ready!"_

"_Yeah, yeah, fine. I'll get ready." Nagi looked up at the smiling guardian characters. "Um… I need my privacy."_

"_Oh! Right!" Rhythm ushered them out of the stall and followed behind them, winking at Nagi over his shoulder. "Nagi's a prude," Rhythm muttered to Kusukusu, who giggled. "I mean, c'mon. I'm his guardian character."_

* * *

"I can't believe this," I grumbled. "My crazy little…" Ignoring the fact that they'd dragged me to the mall and then locked me in a stall, I thought it was pretty cute that they'd wanted to help me. But it was a little harder to forgive them for picking out my outfit. I could deal with the dark jeans and the white t-shirt. I could even deal with the fact they'd packed me a blue vest even though it was springtime. I wasn't even bothered by the knit hat or the headphones. But it was a little harder to deal with the fact that this was the exact same outfit that Rhythm wore. And that I used to wear this sort of thing when I was a kid. You could say that it was kind of obvious who packed my outfit.

Temari's head poked up over the edge. "Nagihiko! Are you dressed yet?"

"Yes," I called. "Rhythm, why am I dressed like you?"

"Are you kidding? Rima will love it!" My little chara looked at me like I was crazy. "She'll think you look hot!"

"I guess…"

"Do you doubt my skills?" Miki floated next to Rhythm and frowned at me, crossing her arms.

"Hey, hey! You look good!" Ran cheered. "Cute!"

I looked at her funny. "I don't want to look cute…"

She ignored me. "C'mon! They should be here soon!"

Seeing as I didn't really have anything better to wear, I opened the door and hefted the gym bag over my shoulder. "Now what? I can't exactly meet them with a gym bag over my shoulder."

"Did you even listen?" Temari whacked the back of my head. "We'll take care of it! Now go! Your wallet is in your pocket, you look nice, and your friends are waiting. Hurry!" The guardian characters struggled to pick up my gym bag.

"Uh… Do you guys want me to—?"

"GO!"

"Fine, fine." I sighed and walked out of the store. "Oh, geez!" Suddenly I was a lot more awake.

Appearing out of nowhere, a large group of girls, many of which I knew followed me around and enjoyed throwing themselves at me, suddenly walked right past and knocked me out of the way.

"Ow," I muttered.

A girl looked back at me, smiling apologetically. "Oh, sorr—Omigosh! It's NAGIHIKO!" She shrieked like a maniac and caused all of her friends as well as several bystanders to watch in bemusement.

"Not good!" I had to do what a normal guy like me could co in these situations. Which was run like hell was following me. Faster than I could remember running, I snatched some little kid's skateboard, dashed towards the closest stairs and hopped on the rails, zooming down on the handrail like a bullet.

"_AHHH! NAGI!"_ Apparently when you're being chased by a mob of screaming fan girls, the laws of physics do not apply. Like how mass isn't created or destroyed, because they all seemed to get a lot bigger and scarier. And more appeared out of nowhere. Also, they were running a lot faster than I thought the human body could run.

Glancing around me, I reached the end of the handrails and leapt off, grabbing the skateboard, and hid behind the staircase. What seemed like a herd of angry, violent rhinoceroses thundered right past my hiding place.

"Where did he go?"

"I think he went that way!"

"Get him!"

"Nagi, I love you!"

I sighed in relief as the noise died away. "God, that was terrifying," I muttered. And really, it was. I sunk to the floor, my exhaustion flooding back. I rubbed my temples. Man, I was so tired… I closed my eyes, just to rest.

"Nagihiko!"

I jumped up again, suddenly aware. "WHOZAT!"

There in front of me were my friends. Rima was standing over me, looking at me, her face questioning and slightly alarmed. She looked so beautiful in her draping eggplant shirt and patterned grey shorts, although I didn't exactly enjoy how the shorts only reached mid-thigh, or how the ruffled sleeves cascaded off her shoulders. Who knows what perverts hung around the mall just looking for beautiful girls like Rima?

My other friends were in a group, hanging back slightly. Amu looked astonished as she absently toyed with the amulet around her neck and readjusted her fedora. Kukai had his green jersey-clad arm thrown around Utau's shoulder as usual, a wide smile slowly spreading across his face. Yaya stood off to the side, her face strangely blank, which contrasted with the large yellow bows in her hair and the pink plaid shirt she wore under short white overalls.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi stood behind Amu, eyes twinkling and his hands stuffed in his jeans casually. The last time I had seen Ikuto had been about a year ago. I stared at him for a second, bemused. "Whaat?"

"You're here," Amu said, smiling. "We were wondering when you were going to show."

"Oh…"

"Tired?" Utau said sympathetically, scratching at her neck idly.

"Definitely." I nodded fervently, joining them. "Woke up around four this morning."

Ah, really?" Rima walked up to me, concerned. "Why? Your mom never wakes you up that early, even to dance!"

"Oh…" I cleared my throat. "I couldn't sleep. Hey, Ikuto. It's good to see you again. Anyways, did you all find presents?"

"Ikuto and I already got him presents—fruit tarts and a cute little bento box!" Utau held up a funny little crown. "Cute, huh?"

"Nice!" I laughed. "What about the rest of you?"

"I got him a brand-new chess set!" Kukai grinned.

"Tadase plays chess?" I asked in surprise.

"Well… he plays it, and he enjoys it. He's just not… very good at it."

"Actually it's kind of cute how he screws up his face when he's trying to decide where to move. His eyes get all big and he screws up his face like this." Utau made a strange pouty face.

Amu looked confused. "I thought he was actually pretty good at chess!"

"Amu, that's because you're worse at chess than he is," Utau laughed. "The last time you played him, he captured all of your pieces in under a minute!"

"Exactly! He has to be good…" Amu insisted.

"I got him movie tickets." Yaya said in a monotonous tone.

"Uh… Yaya, are you all right?" I asked carefully.

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." I eyed her empty face and dead eyes.

"Amu still hasn't decided what to get Tadase-kun," Rima sighed. "And it's been hours!"

"W-well, you all got him what he wanted—!" Amu stammered. "There's nothing that I can get him that he'd have asked for…"

"Ah, well. We can shop after we go eat. I'm in the mood for some sushi!" Rima gave me a look. "Because we waited for, like, two hours from _somebody_ to show up."

I felt embarrassed. "Sorry about that. But yeah, we should probably get to planning. Yaya, do you know when Kairi is going to be here?" I asked her.

"No," Yaya said testily. "Did you expect me to know when he would be here?"

"Ah…" I edged away from her slightly. "It's almost one. Why don't we get lunch?"

To my surprise, Rima hooked her arm in mine and dragged me across the tiled floors and fast-food restaurants to the glass elevators. I caught my breath as she pulled me closer to her. "C'mon, guys!" She called. "Are you coming or what?"

"Rima?" I asked in disbelief. "What are you—?"

"Close, you stupid elevator!" Rima said hurriedly, repeatedly pushing the fifth floor button. The others raced across the floor to the slowly closing elevator doors, an amused Ikuto in the lead with his long strides, carrying a bright red Amu, bridal style, who pounded his head with her fists and shouted, "P-PUT ME DOWN, STUPID!" He was followed by a bemused Kukai, pulling a giggling Utau; and finally came a fuming Yaya, who was quickly passing everyone, even Ikuto, and gave a bull-like roar.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU TWO!"

"Oh, shit," I muttered. I joined Rima, hurriedly pushing the fifth floor button. The elevator closed slowly with a _ding!_ just before Ikuto reached it.

Silence. Rima and I looked at each other for a second, and busted out laughing.

"The looks on their faces!" Rima choked. "Priceless!"

"I know! God, that was terrifying!" I laughed, wiping a tear from my eye. "I've never seen Yaya so angry! Why is she mad, anyways?"

"She got all scary after Ikuto teased her about Kairi.' Rima shuddered. "It was like talking to a dead person."

"She's not normally like that when _anybody_ teases her about Kairi," I raised an eyebrow. "Why is she acting up now?" Rima pouted and stuck her tongue out at me. "What?"

"You just raised an eyebrow."

I raised my eyebrow again. "And?"

"Stop it!" She whacked me with the back of her hand. "I've always wanted to be able to do that and—you're showing off!"

I grinned. "Really?" I leaned closer raised an eyebrow again just to annoy her. "Does this annoy you?" For whatever reason, she went red. "Oh, no, are you angry again?" I raised my hands defensively. "I'm just teasing."

Rima muttered something I couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Nothing." The elevator doors opened with another _ding!_ "Oh, look, we're here!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the elevator again. "Right there! _Karai!_ I hear they have the best spicy food!"

"I've never eaten there, so I wouldn't know," I shrugged. "But it makes sense.

"Well let's go in. What do you think; a table or a booth?"

Probably a booth, seeing as—AAH!"

"Seeing as what?" She turned around to see what I was seeing. "HOLY—"

"YOU TWOOOOOO!" Yaya was running at the speed of light, sprinting towards us with a terrifying expression on her face. I could've sworn I'd seen white-hot flames surrounding her as well as darts shoot from her eyes and fangs growing in her mouth. I grabbed Rima and, ignoring the sudden rush of adrenaline touching her gave me, pulled her into the restaurant.

It was a nice place, with stone countertops and a great layout. The darkly stained wood floors—bamboo?—shone, and the red walls were pretty amazing with the restaurant's name in different languages stenciled all over the walls in gold. The booths next to the window were covered in the kind of depictions you might see on a _kimono_ or _ukata_, and the chairs appeared to have black lacquer like that of a _sensu_. Large shadow boxes were spaced evenly on the walls, including dancer's objects like _hapi_ coats, _sasara,_ and _kachi-kachi._ I didn't know quite what to say. It was a little weird to see the things that I danced with all on display. Hanging from the ceiling were white lanterns with unreadable _kanji _hand-painted on.

"Wow," I slowed, staring at the décor. "This is kind of weird…" And for me, it was. Seeing the items I use to dance with hanging on the walls gave me a bizarre urge both to laugh and snatch them off the wall and yell at whoever put them up there.

Rima shook me. "Focus, Nagi-kun." She turned to an employee that was passing. "Can we get a booth?"

"Sure!" He said in a cutesy voice. "Are you her guardian?" He asked me.

I couldn't decide whether to laugh or not. Rima was very short, apparently short enough to be mistaken for a child, but I wasn't exactly thrilled to be her "guardian." (I'd rather be her date, but there's no way I'd let her know that.)

"No, he's my friend." Rima said irritably, "We're actually waiting for friends. Now—"

"Oh, hey guys!" I heard a muffled voice call Rima's and my names. Kairi was standing outside the windows, smiling at us. He entered the restaurant and stood with us. "Are you here to plan for the surprise party?"

"Oh! Hi!" Rima smiled pleasantly. "We're just waiting on the others. They should be here any second."

"Oh, good! Hey… um…" Kairi cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his white button-up shirt. "Is… Y-Yaya coming?" He asked nonchalantly.

I grinned. "Of course."

"Ah." He casually straightened his clothes. Rima stifled a snicker.

The door opened, and everyone else was standing there, Yaya looking furious, while Amu was shoving Ikuto off her and hurriedly straightening her light blue baby-doll top and shorts; Kukai and Utau were laughing hysterically.

Yaya stepped menacingly towards the two of us, growling, and I instinctively stepped in front of Rima. Then she saw Kairi, and her expression changed first to shock, then embarrassment. "Uhh…" Her cheeks flamed bright red. "H-hi?" She choked out.

Kairi looked surprised, and smiled nervously. "H-hey, Yaya!" He stepped forward and hugged her quickly. From the looks of things, they both stopped breathing. I would've laughed, but seeing as I was pretty much the same way with Rima, I couldn't talk.

Kairi quickly let go of Yaya, who was utterly silent. "How are you feeling?"

"F-fine…" Yaya took a step backwards, shaking from her hair bows down to her sparkly rainbow Converse.

"Well! How about that booth?" Rima said in an overly bright voice to the waiter.

* * *

"_Oh, my gosh!" Ran struggled to hold her grip on the duffel bag, gripping the straps and sweating profusely. Miki, Su, and Dia gasped in agreement._

"_Let me go! I'll teach these mere servants how to carry heavy objects!" Kiseki squirmed against Rhythm's and Musashi's grip._

"_Be quiet!" Temari huffed. "You're not even helping. And I'm wearing my best kimono!"_

"_You're wearing your only kimono," Rhythm muttered, floating in front of a wriggling Kiseki._

"_What did you say?" Temari said menacingly._

"_Nothing, nothing…"_

* * *

"…So do we all have it?" Utau asked briskly.

Empty plates circled the edge of the table, _hashi _and miniscule leavings of food dressing the dishes. I sat up straight, feeling content at the large amount of food I had consumed. The circular booth we sat as was the only seat still occupied, as it was past the lunch rush. Classical music played softly overhead: composers like Bach, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky.

Rima nodded. "I will be handling decorations."

"Kairi and I are handling the food," Yaya said quietly, staring fixedly at her plate.

"I'm working with entertainment with Utau," I said, and Utau nodded at me.

"You have and Ikuto to keep Tadase busy," Utau instructed Amu. Ikuto winked at Amu, who blushed and muttered under her breath.

"So we're all set?" Amu asked.

"I think so," I said, frowning. "Hopefully we should be able to get it finished today and tomorrow."

"All right." Utau stood. "Again, we'll rendezvous at the corner of Maple and Arapahoe St. at eight o'clock tomorrow. Bring all your supplies and your presents."

"WAIT!" Rima shouted. She gave me a dirty look, and my hand froze on top of the bill. _"I'll _pay for lunch."

"No, no!" Amu protested, snatching the bill from underneath my hand. "I can, guys, I don't mind."

"Yeah, but you also still haven't bought Tadase's present. Who knows how much it's going to cost?" Utau replied, and took the bill from her hand.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Ikuto said.

"I can pay for it, guys," Kukai ignored Ikuto's stupid comment. " I've already got his gift.

We all began arguing. It was kind of stupid. I mean, it was obvious that _I_ should be the one to pay for lunch, right? Duh.

"I'm a famous pop singer! I can afford the lunch—"

"So can I! Plus, you got the bill last time, I feel guilty—"

"—No, I can pay for it—"

"It's done," Ikuto announced.

We all stopped. "…What?" I asked in confusion.

He grinned. "While you were all arguing, I stole the bill from Utau and paid up front."

Immediately the seven of us started objecting.

"No—"

"I could've paid for it—"

Too late, too late!" Ikuto sang. "Now let's go. I'm full."

We exited the shop grumbling and complaining. By now it was late afternoon, and time to get to work. Before I could blink, Ikuto had snatched Amu's hand and dragged her away, saying that they needed quality time, and besides, she didn't have any errands to run until tomorrow, anyways.

"S-so," Yaya attempted to sound like her cheerful self instead of completely love struck, "D-do you want to start working on the food?"

"Sure!" Kairi looked pleased, and tentatively took Yaya's hand. The two walked stiffly away, not even remembering to say goodbye.

"I'll go get decorations," Rima told Utau and I.

"Hey, Nagi, I was thinking," Utau told me. "How about a karaoke machine? I've got one at home."

"Perfect!" I beamed at her. "I've got at on of CDs at home, why don't I bring them?"

"Great! Actually, maybe we should text everyone and get them to bring some of their CDs…" She thought. "That isn't a whole lot to do… Since I don't have to do much, maybe it would be best if Kukai and I caught up with Ikuto and Amu to make sure he doesn't do anything to her or something…" She glanced up at Kukai, who was blinking sleepily.

I laughed. See you."

"See you!" Utau pulled a yawning Kukai firmly away, waving at the two of us.

"…Well," Rima cleared her throat. "I should… probably get going."

"Okay," I smiled at her, and hesitated. I held out my hand just as she held her arms out awkwardly and tried to hug me. Somehow I ended up with one hand in her hair and her arms around my neck. "Oof!"

"S-sorry," I said breathlessly, her face less than two inches from mine.

Her face went pink—did _I _do that?—and she nodded mutely and attempted to pull away. "N-Nagi, you have to let go of me."

"Oh." I released her and stepped away. My mind had gone almost utterly blank, penetrated by one single thought.

"I, uh, I'll see you later…" Rima ran off without a backwards glance.

I walked the rest of the way home, barely even paying any attention as to where I was going. I couldn't stop thinking about how her light cheeks had flushed, how her breath had caught in her throat when her face was so close to mine… had I really made her blush?

A warm, gushy feeling entered my chest, and I practically skipped down the block. I stopped before the gate of my house, practically twirling in blissful hope and… l-l-love. I had no picture as to my surroundings. This wasn't a very good thing, as the next second I had bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said apologetically. Finally focusing and seeing the person.

She was wearing a filthy, baggy grey sweatshirt, red and black striped gym shorts, and old, worn Adidas sneakers that looked a few sizes to big for her. Her skin was covered in a combination of what could only be described as dirt, grease, and blood. She hid her hair underneath an old baseball cap.

But it was the face that got me. For though she looked hardened and wild, her face, the deep amber eyes that stared into mine, were filled with shock and confusion that must be mirrored in my own. Every single inch of this girl, from her head down to her toes, scared me. She jolted back several steps.

I reached out a hand to touch her, to prove that this chance meeting was utterly real, and she flinched. "I—you—don't touch me–" her voice, soft and pretty, also sounded terrified. With sudden movement, she backed up, stumbling over her own feet, and began to run.

"Wait!" Surprising both the girl and myself, I leapt after her and grabbed her arm. She gasped, and her hat fell to the ground.

Instantly, long, filthy hair tumbled down her shoulders. No matter that it was covered in filth and grease.

The girl stared at me in fear, her deep purple hair the exact same shade as my own.

* * *

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	6. OH MY GOD YOU STOLE MY FACE!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

I've learned to keep moving forward, away from the painful memories and just try to survive. To push away the terrifying nightmares and the dark and stay in the light. I don't think anything could have ever prepared me for the shock of seeing my own face staring back at me.

I stared at the image, trying to understand why this boy that I had never met before, didn't know existed, now stood in front of me and wore my face.

"I'm dreaming," I whispered. No way could there be any other explanation.

My face stared back at me, eyes wide—I never thought I'd ever say that—expression filled with a mixture of wonder and curiosity. Finally, after what seemed to me several day lit years, or perhaps time had stopped altogether, my face spoke. "Who are you?" It asked in a mellifluous male voice.

"I—I don't understand," I said in a small voice, backing up slightly. "You have my face."

"What? No, you have my face…" I watched in confusion as I—no, the boy—gulped. "I… My name is Nagihiko Fujisaki."

I flinched and took a deep, shuddering breath. "No, that's impossible. You… I don't know you. You're not related to me."

"Why? What's your name?" He asked me breathlessly.

"Nadeshiko. My name is Nadeshiko."

He staggered back as if I had punched him in the face, his face filled with winded shock. "That's impossible."

"Impossible? You have my face, and you're telling me that my name is impossible?" I said incredulously.

He hesitated. "I… who are you?"

"You asked me that already! It's Nadeshiko."

"No—no, I meant—Can you—we—would you like to come home with me?"

My face was a pervert? "Stay away from me!" I gasped in horror, backing up again. I lost my balance, and with a sharp crack of pain in my head, the world was swirling around my head. The air had disappeared, the heat was pressing in on me, and darkness came over my eyes like ants…

"Ouch…" I moaned.

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling, of dark, shining wood. I tried to sit up, but couldn't, I was too weak.

_Where am I?_ I wondered. The atmosphere was quiet, and filled as if something should have been said but never was. Still, there was a comforting feel of 'home' that I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Nade-chi, are you awake?"

"Azumi?"

"Yup!" My good friend, my only friend now, floated into my view. "I'm here, Nade-chi!"

I smiled at my guardian character. No matter that I was only a girl of sixteen on the streets that ran away from all the horrors… No, Azumi was here for _me_. Just to see her sweet, angelic face, to watch my beautiful, fairy-sized friend bob her way through the air and hug my cheek like a small child, made my giggle.

How amazing it had been when I had woken up one day with her off-white egg in my bed, seeing her snow-white hair in a long braid and her pure white kimono. To have Azumi for a guardian character was fun, even if she was sometime annoying and obnoxious.

"Azumi," I smiled. "You're here. Where am I?"

My little friend frowned for a second. "There's a lot to explain, Nade-chi. But you have to promise me that you'll listen to me, yes?"

"Of course, Azumi." She was like a little sister, really, someone I took care of.

She took a deep breath (which was supposed to sound mature but looked really cute) and said softly, "Nade-chi, you passed out."

I thought for a moment, then nodded. "And where am I now?"

"Nade-chi, do you remember that boy before you passed out? The one with your face?"

"Yes. What was his name?" I pondered. "It started with an 'n', right? Nagihiko?"

"Yes! That's it!" Azumi clapped, and I laughed. "I'd forgotten it. Well, Nadeshiko…"

I pursed my lips. She never called me that unless something important was happening. "What is it, Azumi?" I asked.

"He caught you after you fell… and when you didn't wake up, he brought you to his house…"

I closed my eyes and inhaled as much air as I could. "Why am I here?" I murmured.

"Nade-chi, you might want to brace yourself…" I stiffened. "It's possible that he is your long-lost twin."

There was a long silence.

"Twin?" I said blankly. "But that's impossible."

"Nade-chi, I think maybe you should talk to Nathan."

"Who? Oh, um, Nagihiko, you mean? I guess, if you trust him, than I suppose I should too…" I said doubtfully.

"That's what I said," Azumi pouted.

There was a knock on my door. "Um… N-Nadeshiko? Are you awake?"

"Yes," Azumi called, and I took a deep breath, bracing myself.

"My mother is coming in with me…" Slowly the door opened, tentatively, as if I was an exploding bomb. I huffed. I may be traumatized and on edge, but that did not mean that I was capable of taking down both the guy who wore my face and my mother.

The boy entered, eyes burning a hole through me. "Hello, miss," He said softly. "Can I sit on your bed?"

I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. "Yes, of course."

His nodded mutely and sat gently down on the bed. His eyes flicked to Azumi for a second, and I felt my breath stop. He could see Azumi?

From behind him, two other tiny people who were _guardian characters just like Azumi, _down to their size. The female one, wearing a traditional pink kimono and holding her long sleeves that helped her plum hair cover her face, bowed graciously, while the other one waved frantically, grinning wildly and knocking off his own tiny white knit hat before the other guardian character dragged him back to the boy's shoulder by the back of his blue vest.

"Miss," The boy's mother gave me a friendly smile. "Your name is Nadeshiko, is it not?" I nodded. "I hope it's not too much trouble to ask you your full name, yes?"

"Fujisaki. Nadeshiko Fujisaki."

The woman pursed her lips. "Is that your biological name?"

"The only name I've ever known," I said defiantly.

The lady closed her eyes. "May I call you Nadeshiko?"

I frowned. "I guess so…" Why would a woman I barely knew call me by my first name? This day was getting stranger and stranger.

"Nadeshiko, I wonder if you could tell us about yourself. As in, where you lived before you. Everything about yourself."

"Uh…" I looked at her like she was crazy. Because, obviously, she was. "Okay? Um... my name is Nadeshiko Fujisaki. My favorite color is blue. I like to read?" I looked at the two strangers.

"Go on," the woman said quietly.

"I like to sing and dance," I said awkwardly. "I lived at—at an orphanage." My voice grew quiet. "I never knew my biological parents. I was abandoned at the orphanage doorstep when I was a baby and have lived there with my real family until—" I shuddered. "I ran away. I've been living on the streets. And your son has the same face as me." I finished.

For a while, the woman was silent. The boy, er, Nagihiko, was twiddling his thumbs. After a long silence, she said finally, "Is there anything else?"

I stiffened and lied again. "No."

"All right." The woman closed her eyes. "Would you like me to tell you something important?"

"Yes, Mrs.… Fujisaki." I said carefully. "And I'd like to know other things as well. Like, why I'm here, and why you've been asking me questions. When I can leave. I don't want to monopolize your time," I added politely.

"Nadeshiko," the woman took opened her eyes. "First of all, it is likely that you are the long-lost twin of my son, Nagihiko."

I couldn't say anything. A… twin. I could barely comprehend that suddenly, out of the blue, I had a twin that I didn't know existed. Which meant…

"You're my mother?" I yelped.

I stared at her, barely believing it was true. But there it was, right there in her face, features that were unmistakably held in my own. The color of my eyes, my lips, the shape of my face, were there in her face. It would be foolish to pretend that she was not my biological parent.

"You… my mother…" I took a deep breath. "But… that means… you abandoned me?" The shock had disappeared. All I felt was anger now, for this woman who had left me unwanted, and for the boy Nagihiko, who had brought me here. "You're not my mother. Explain to me why I got left on the doorstep of an orphanage!" I tried to sit up, and succeeded.

"Nadeshiko—"

"Don't call me that!" I growled. "You don't know me, you can't call me by my name like you do!"

"Miss," The boy said quietly. "Can my mother tell you everything else that we might know."

I glared at him, and shrugged.

"On the fourth of July, when Nagihiko was born," The woman began, "I was to have twins." She looked me straight in the eye. "I'd known that I was supposed to have twins for months. When the two of you were finally born, my nurse said—" The woman swallowed. 'She said that you two were dead. She told me that you both had no heartbeat, that for some horrible reason you were not alive when you were born.

I didn't believe it at first, because just a little before the doctors had assured me you were very healthy. I didn't want to believe it, so I took Nagihiko into my arms and let the nurse try to wake you. Immediately, he began to cry, and I thought that while I had lost my little girl, I still had a little comfort. I took you in my arms, and you didn't breathe, didn't make a single sound. The nurse left with you after that, saying that she had to go talk to the doctor about trying to save my little girl.

"There was nothing," The woman's voice broke a little. "The nurse came back without you and pronounced you dead. I held you in my arms, and she apologized, promising that she would do whatever it takes to keep Nagihiko alive. I was in denial, thinking desperately that this could not be my child, that somehow you were still alive, that the nurse had lied, had been wrong, but I knew deep down that you were gone, and I could never have you back.

"And now you're right here in front of me, and I just—I don't know what happened," Her voice shook. "I'm so sorry, Nadeshiko. I promise that I would never abandon you, that I would never have let you go if I had known, but I can't answer why you appeared at an orphanage. I just don't know."

I stared at her. The story seemed so fake, so unreal, so why did this woman obviously believe every word of it? There was not a trace of falsehood in this woman's eyes, not in any inch of her face, not her body. She had even gotten my birthday right.

"That can't be," I whispered.

"I'm sorry," She closed her eyes again and did not speak for several minutes.

"..Well, N-Nadeshiko," Fujisaki—Nagihiko—said quietly. "I think you wanted to know some other stuff?"

I kept my mouth shut. "I don't understand," I said blankly. "I have a twin… a mother I never knew. This doesn't make any sense."

Nagihiko-san nodded, glancing at his mother and looking away quickly. "Yes." I got the impression that he did not believe her either.

"But, Nadeshiko," Mrs. Fujisaki hesitated. "You don't have to if you don't want to, of course, but you are welcome to stay here."

"St-stay here?" My eyes widened. "You mean… live here? With you guys?"

"You're my daughter." My… mother stood. "You don't have to, but we would like you to stay. We…" She hesitated. "I know that we are strangers, but it would be nice to be able to… care for you and keep you safe."

"I…" I couldn't breathe. This was more than I could deal with. Finding a mother and a twin, and then being asked to stay at their home… "I need some time to think about this."

"Of course. Take all the time you need." My mother stood, and Nagihiko followed her out of the room. The door swung shut and closed with a slight click.

I laid back on the bed, staring up at the wood-paneled walls and trying to clear up every single thought crowding my mind.

Was this real? Did I really, truly have a twin I'd never known existed? A mother who hadn't actually abandoned me? An offer to live here in this house with them? Given a secure future of safety and peace? I might have luxuries I'd never had before, like clean clothes, three square meals a day… from the look of things, I'd never have to worry about whether my home didn't have enough money to care for me. It even seemed likely that in a place like this, I'd have a friend. And yet, something held me back. Didn't I swear never to let another in again? Not after what happened?

"Should I leave so you can think on your own?" Azumi asked me.

"Uh—yeah, sure." I shook my head. For the first time in a long time, I'd forgotten she was there.

My guardian character smiled and floated to the door, before glancing back at me and smiling. With a little giggle, she wriggled under the door crack and popped out to the other side.

* * *

"…_So do you really think Fujisaki-san was telling the truth?" Azumi asked Temari and Rhythm._

"_Yes," Temari said softly. "I've been with Nagihiko for a long time, and I've never seen her so emotional."_

"_Are you sure she wasn't acting?"_

"_Of course not. She's a horrible actor." Rhythm snorted. "And anyways, it makes sense. Remember how closed-off she got whenever 'Nadeshiko' came around?"_

"_What do you mean? Nade-chi has never come here before."_

"_Yeah, but here's the thing. The Fujisaki family has a reputation for traditional Japanese dancing, yeah? And the biggest part of the reputation is that for the males in the family, they dress as girls to dance."_

"…_But isn't that kind of silly? I mean, guys can dance too, it's not limited to girls..."_

_Rhythm shrugged. I guess so. Anyways, it's tradition. And the males become girls. When Nagihiko became a girl, he also became 'Nadeshiko.' That became his name to the rest of the world."_

"…_So Fujisaki-san must've really missed Nadeshiko," Azumi murmured. "It's almost like she used the tradition so that she could watch Nadeshiko grow up."_

"_Sweet in kind of a weird way, but then she's never been good at showing her emotions," Temari agreed._

"…_So you're Norton's guardian characters, right?" Azumi inquired._

"_Nagihiko," Temari corrected. "I was his first, because of his desire to be a boy again."_

"_Surprise, surprise," Azumi muttered._

"_And I was born of his desire to try more boyish things, like sports," Rhythm concluded. "What about you?"_

_Azumi smiled. "I was born out of Nade-chi's desire to be a normal girl."_

"_Why? She seems pretty normal to me." Rhythm frowned. "Why is she not normal?"_

_Azumi pursed her lips. "I don't know if I should tell you. It's her story. But…" She gazed off into the distance. "Already she was abnormal because she was an abandoned child, instead of an orphan. A lot of people wondered why she'd been abandoned, if there was something wrong with her or her parents just didn't care. She didn't like getting that kind of sympathy. And then after I was born, she was so excited, because she had a friend who didn't treat her like a delicate figurine, or feel sympathy for her. Obviously, people started thinking she was crazy when she talked and played with me, because they couldn't see me. They thought perhaps she was crazy, and that's why her parents didn't want her. And then…"_

"_What happened?" Rhythm asked curiously._

_Azumi hesitated. "I think… Nadeshiko should tell you."_

"_Was it… bad?" Temari asked in a hushed voice._

"_Yeah." Azumi's voice wavered slightly. "We ended up running away and living on the streets. It's been a year, and she puts on a brave face, but I hear her in her sleep… always thrashing about and waking up with tears streaming down her face… it was bad. I think… maybe she needs this, you know. To feel safe. To have a new family. Start over."_

"_Do you think she will?" Temari questioned._

"_I don't know." Azumi sighed. "She doesn't like to depend on other people, but she also hates living the way she does now—you know, there's no security, she doesn't have a moment's peace. But living here will probably be an entirely new experience. Anyway, it's her choice."_

'_Well," Rhythm said after a moment, "If she hangs out with Nagihiko and his friends, neither of you would be alone."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Oh, pretty much all Nagihiko's closest friends have guardian characters," Rhythm said dismissively. "But then again, Nadeshiko will probably want other friends than her twin—"_

"_Really?" Azumi giggled. "That's pretty weird. You don't get that often, a bunch of kid with guardian characters that live so close together. Not a lot of kids have them."_

"_Sure, I guess," Rhythm was unconvinced. "Nothing special."_

"_Still, I don't think Nade-chi would mind hanging with Norbert—"_

"_Nagihiko."_

"—_because she wouldn't feel alone."_

* * *

_A hand caressed my cheek softly. "Go now…"_

_Voices began creeping through the darkness under the star-lit sky. Heat poured into my bones, into my head. The air grew thick, and I coughed the musky air from my lungs, stumbling through the white that collapsed around me._

_"…Nadeshiko…" "…You'll be all right…" "…Nadeshiko…" "…Be brave, Nadeshiko…" _

_"…Nadeshiko… I love you…"_

I awoke with a gasp, tears streaming down my cheeks. His face, imprinted across my eyelids, never wavered; always the same, his ruffled dark hair, his deep brown eyes so soft and kind, his angular face, the rare smile that I always managed to sneak out of him… it was all there, every bit of it, and so unbearable.

I could barely breathe, and my head starting to hurt the way it always did whenever I cried. I managed to gulp in cool, refreshing air, and sat up slowly, taking in the scene around me. The room was no different, of course—no change in the dark wood paneling, of course, and the tatami mats. Not like I'd expected any different. Still, the fact that nothing seemed to have changed felt strangely comfortable to me.

I sat up slowly, and realized I was still wearing the same clothes I'd been wearing yesterday. How strange that when Nagihiko-san had caught me, I'd been on my way to go search for some place to clean them, having collected enough money to be able to spare a couple cents to wash them. Now, if I stuck to my resolution, I'd never have to worry about how exactly I was going to do so.

I shifted slightly and began to get out of bed, when a soft thump at the end of the bed made me stop. I crawled to the edge and picked up a small pile of clothes that had slipped off the edge of the bed. I held them up and stared.

Having always worn simple clothes, like from Goodwill and donated clothes, and eventually from a trash bag or Dumpster, I was not used to seeing these sorts of clothes. I held up the yellow button up shirt of some sheer fabric like thin linen or chiffon. I set that aside and held up the long pants that appeared to be denim, but were too stretchy and smooth to be denim. I glanced over the side and blushed slightly, leaning over to snatch up a pair of simple white underwear and brassier.

Now, the shirt made sense for a boy to wear. The pants did not seem like something either Nagihiko-san or Fujisaki-san would wear. And while I was sure that from meeting my mother she did not wear so small a size, I was hopeful that that my twin hadn't actually owned a brassier or a pair of female underpants.

I reluctantly undressed and pulled on these new clothes, which fit perfectly, which was frightening. My stomach grumbled impatiently. Time for breakfast. I rolled up the shirt sleeves and took a deep breath, and then approached the door and opened it.

Thinking back, I probably should have realized that this house was very large. I mean, really, the neighborhood was filled with the large houses only the richest people could own. And really, my mother and my twin had both been dressed far too well to even be considered average. So the fact that when I opened the door, a long hallway filled with several corridors should have been no surprise.

And fifteen minutes later, I was in front of my door, somehow having taken about five turns, gone up and down at least to staircases in an extremely roundabout way back to my room in a failed attempt to find a kitchen.

"Well, this sucks," I muttered to myself. I had absolutely no idea where the heck I was, let alone which direction the kitchen was.

"Nadeshiko-san?"

I turned. There stood Nagihiko-san, holding a tray filled with breakfast food. I stared at him, and then focused on the food.

"You're awake. Uh, would you like breakfast?" He offered me the tray. "We can eat in your room, if you like."

"Sure," I said awkwardly. "That sounds nice."

I settled on my bed, and he sat down across from me, placing the tray gently on the bed spread, and picked up a piece of toast.

"So," He said through a mouthful of bread and butter, "How are you?"

"Um. Fine, I guess."

"You guess?" He swallowed and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't really know. It's a lot to process in two days."

"I know," He said fervently. "I don't really know what to think. Like, why I have a twin I never knew about. And why I was never told."

"Exactly," I reached out for a sunny-side-up egg, decided it was bad manners, and scooped it up with a fork and plopped it on toast. "I just can't decide whether or not to believe your—our mother."

"I have a twin," Nagihiko said after a pause. "A twin with, well, the same name I used in public for over half my life."

"Really?" I asked through a mouthful of toast and egg.

"Yeah. The Fujisaki family has a sort of tradition of old-style Japanese dancing, you know? My mother even runs a dancing school for it. And the guys, like me, have to become girls and dance like one. So I was 'Nadeshiko'—I mean, you for a while."

"Really?" I asked, interested. "That's kind of cool. And also weird. Guys can dance, too."

Nagihiko-san shrugged. "I guess so. Still, I don't always regret being a girl for a while. I mean, I know I wasn't able to be who I really am, but I made a lot of friends, had people I could trust whether I was myself or 'Nadeshiko.'"

"Huh. So you liked being a girl?"

"What? No! I—I was just saying that—" He broke off and glared at me. "That wasn't funny."

I tried to keep a straight face. "Of course."

His glower wavered, and then he chuckled. "All right, so maybe it was a little funny."

It was silent for several more moments, and then I said carefully. "You have guardian characters too, right?"

"Yeah." He looked at me. "You have one. Her name is… Azumi, right?"

"Yep. What about you?"

"Temari and Rhythm."

"Two, huh?" I said, surprised. "I've never seen another person with one, let alone two."

He grinned. "Most of my friends have one, but one of my friends has four."

"Four?" I was impressed. "That's a lot. What on earth does she want to be that requires four?"

"You know, I've never asked," Nagihiko mulled it over. He shrugged, and stood. "Well, I'd better get going. I've got stuff to do."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Oh, just to a friend's house. It's his birthday today, actually, and my friends and I are throwing a surprise party for him. I'm just bringing a couple things over to his house. In fact, it's already ten, I should be there now."

"Oh." I didn't think there was anything left to say now, so I just closed my mouth and was quiet."

"Um… You could come if you want," Nagihiko hesitated, "But only if you want to."

"No, no!" I said, surprised. "I don't want to intrude."

"All the same, I think I should introduce you to my friends at some point or another," He smiled. "I have a twin," He said softly.

I watched his expression, filled with a sort of contagious happiness and surprise. I smiled back, feeling slightly overwhelmed as emotion filled my chest and spread to my toes.

"I'll… see you when I get home, then," He smiled happily, and practically danced out of the door.

I stared, fighting back a sudden, savage urge to both laugh at his obviously uncommon antics and follow him all the way to his friend's house just to make sure he got there safely.

A thought occurred to me, and I bit my lip. I had to know... "Wait!" I called after him. He stopped and looked back at me. I swallowed against the dry in my throat. "Do you... have you ever..."

"What?" He blinked, confused.

I shook my head quickly. "Never mind," I said hurriedly. He shrugged and left.

"That's strange," I told myself. And it was. Why, exactly, after only having met him a day, instead of mistrust, why did I suddenly feel as if I'd known Nagihiko for years and considered him my little brother that I had to protect?

A familiar tightening pressed on my back, like the bones were pushing out of my skin. I tried to ignore it, wincing slightly.

_You promised you wouldn't, _a voice in my head whispered. _You swore not to. Not after what happened._

The tightening increased, and I yelped in pain. There was no choice. I hadn't done it in so long... I had to do it or they'd just explode out against my will.

I glanced around furtively. No sound came from down the hallway, not from the outside. I closed the door and locked it, then strode over to the open window, checking to see no one was outside. Nothing. I slid off the borrowed shirt, swallowing hard, standing with a thin, low-cut camisole baring my shoulders.

I arched my back, and sighed in relief as my bones morphed and twisted outwards to form huge, white, feathered wings.

* * *

_She isn't there._

_Panic begins to claw at your heart. She should be here by now, leading an angry monster. Here is where you would join her and finish it once and for all. The Dream Transformation that would end everything._

_You hear a scream of pain, and suddenly you're out of your crouch, running towards the noise. You have to protect her, or you know she will die._

_Within the shadows of the trees, far away from the planned ambush, you find her lying on the ground, the Humpty Amulet just out of reach. The demon hover over her, snarling and whispering harshly, but she does not move._

_You yell. "HEY!"_

_The demon turns toward you for the briefest moment. It's brief, less than a second, but it's just enough for Akira to grab the lock._

_With a blinding flash of light, you transform together._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	7. Because Tadase Has Higher Standards!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Tadase**

It was a beautiful day, with the sun glowing in the bright blue sky as puffy cotton ball-clouds drifted slowly across the horizon. The sounds of noise and bustle, of cars rushing, of all sorts of people, were distant from the calm and quiet of my neighborhood. Fragrant plants of all sorts dressed the old-style houses that surrounded me. It was peaceful and calm, though inside I felt absolutely nothing of the sort.

"So, Tadase," said Amu cheerfully. "How's your day going?"

"Fine," I smiled at her, ignoring the bubble of suppressed emotions that welled up under the surface every time I looked at her face. She was so kind, so amazing, so beautiful, and every time I saw her my heart beat like crazy and I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off her. Not that I could do anything about the fact that I still loved her, because I'd given up on trying to get her to love me back after our failed break-up in ninth grade. It was so sweet of her to try, but… She loved Ikuto, and I had to let her go, but I couldn't force myself to stop loving her. It was good that we were still good friends, but seeing her hurt so much. Being alone with her felt like torture.

"That's good. Anyways, I was thinking that maybe we could go for a walk?" She asked hopefully. "It's a beautiful day."

I couldn't decide. The two of us alone, taking a stroll in a beautiful place sounded wonderful, but I knew I couldn't. "Well that sounds nice, but I still have stuff to do at home…" A tiny part of me felt glad I didn't have to be alone with her.

"NO!" She cried, grabbing my arm.

'What?" I asked, surprised and slightly alarmed. And very hot, because she was _touching my arm_…

"Because… because…" Amu looked around wildly. "Because—we have to go look for my guardian characters!"

"Oh. Are they missing?" I asked in concern.

"Uh… yes! They've been gone all day, and who knows where they could be? Maybe Easter has them!"

"You think so?" I thought. "I don't know, we haven't had any trouble from them for years… But if you're sure," I said gently.

"Uh—or maybe they're at my house! Come on!" She tightened her grip on my arm, and dragged me down several blocks, running at top speed.

"A-Amu," I panted slightly. "Isn't your house in the other direction?"

"Oh, yeah…" She blushed. 'W-well, come on, then!" She dragged me back several blocks, and then several more. By the time we reached her house, we were both out of breath.

"We're here," Amu gasped. "Let's get some water. She pulled me into her house, and we both collapsed on the rug at the door. The house was silent except for the quiet sounds of chirping birds outside the house and slight hum of the refrigerator.

…Oh my God, I'm alone with Amu!

I attempted to clear my throat, but ended up making an awful, dry hacking noise that I attempted to disguise as a cough. I stood and pulled Amu to her feet, and she hurried off, distractedly turning on and off the lights and grabbing two bowls and filling them with water before realizing her mistake and tossing the bowls in the sink, grabbing two glasses and filling them with coffee instead of water.

"Here you go." She handed me the coffee. I took it, frowning slightly.

"Amu, are you feeling all right?" I questioned. "You seem a little off today."

"What? Why would you say that?" She blinked innocently at me, which in itself was actually kind of suspicious.

"Well… you forgot where your house was, and you poured me coffee at around eleven o' clock, not to mention you glancing at your watch. And you aren't listening to me, are you?" She said nothing. "Amu, I'm gay. I've been dating Ikuto for about a year now, and every single night we make wild, passionate—"

Amu gasped. "No!"

I looked at her, trying not to laugh. "I'm just joking, Amu."

"What? No—it's something—come on!" She grabbed both our glasses and set them down on the table before grabbing my arm and dragging me back out the door.

* * *

**Yaya**

"There," I said with satisfaction. "Looks good."

"It does," Kairi agreed. I felt his sea-green eyes on me, watching my face. I just barely managed to restrain myself from turning my own eyes to look into his. I cursed myself as I heard my thin, shaky breathing grow louder and felt heat flood my cheeks.

"Mm." I readjusted a cookie and forced my hand to stop trembling.

The display in front of me had my pride, a few plates of creative, decoratively treats like small frosted sugar cookies to little _onigiri_. I was particularly proud of the oranges, which I'd cut the skins into pretty little flowers. They looked good arranged on Tadase's kitchen table.

It was very hot and awkward in the kitchen (although obviously it was just me) and the fact that Utau and Rima were probably in the other room, listening in on our forced conversation and uncomfortable silences and trying not to burst out laughing did not help in the slightest. No one had come in the kitchen since Kairi and I had stepped into it, not even Ikuto or Kukai, both of which would sneak in and steal food because of their never-ending appetites. Hell, I'd have been glad if they came every last bite, because then I wouldn't be alone with Kairi.

"Beautiful," Kairi said after a moment.

I frowned and turned to him, hearing something funny in his voice and not being able to resist myself from asking, "What's wrong?"

Kairi leaned downward—man, he'd gotten tall—and my heart stopped. He held me by the shoulders, a sort of brotherly gesture, and I looked down at my toes, unable to look him in the eye. No way, no way could he look me in the eyes, he'd read them and know something was up, he knew me too well… and then he'd figure it out… I clenched my jaw to stop it from trembling. I stopped breathing, my eyes darting here, there, anywhere but his face. From behind me, Pepe giggled nervously.

"Yaya?" He asked. "Are you... angry at me?"

Rima's voice. "Yaya? Kairi? Can I come in?"

Kairi closed his eyes fully and stepped back. I nearly collapsed as I scurried out of the way of the door, feeling dazed.

"Come in," Kairi called.

Rima entered. "Hey, we were wondering if you guys were done. It'd be really great if—" She stopped, and raised her eyebrows. "Am I intruding?"

I tried to shake my head and speak, but my throat was dry.

"Do you need help?" Kairi asked.

"Oh, yeah. Are you guys done?" She walked over to the arranged platters. "Ooh, you guys, these look good."

"Yaya did most of the work," Kairi said.

I managed to make a sound. "N-No," I choked out. I cleared my throat. "We…"

A slight smirk passed over Rima's face. Like she could talk, the hypocrite. "Well, we're still having a little trouble, so since you guys are done, could you help?"

"Of course," Kairi nodded. "We'll be right out."

Rima left, sending a grin at me over her shoulder. I followed after her hurriedly, but Kairi stopped me, taking my hand.

"We'll talk later," He whispered in my ear. "Remember, you can tell me anything."

I shivered. "I know."

And I walked out the door.

* * *

**Ikuto**

Kukai and I sat on the porch of Tadase's house, keeping watch for Tadase as the sun slid across the afternoon sky, already past one'o'clock. Having been set a simple job, the two of us enjoyed ourselves by pranking the others and talking. Daichi sat contentedly on top of Kukai's head, swinging his legs like a child. I watched him in nostalgia, remembering Yoru.

"Can you believe it?" I chuckled. "Little Tadase-kun's all grown up now!"

Kukai laughed. "I don't know about that, he still seems like an innocent little kid to me."

"We'll, you're only, like, a year older than him…" I gave him a look. "I'm five years older than him."

Kukai chuckled. "Age isn't important. He's a little kid at heart."

"Yeah, like you're not." I laughed and bumped his arm. This kid had really grown on me lately. "So how's it going with Utau?"

"Actually, it's going pretty well!" Kukai grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "She—hold on a second." He stopped. "Why are you so interested?"

"She's my sister." I said nonchalantly. "So naturally I'd be concerned. How far have you guys gone?"

"Uh…" Kukai blushed. "We're just going steady, man, we're not ready for anything too big…"

"Hmm… And I assume that you know that if you hurt her, you're dead?" I asked innocently.

"Yeah…" He laughed nervously. "Hey, man, are you… is that a threat?"

"No. It's a promise." I smiled pleasantly at him.

"Right…" Kukai trailed off. "So how are things with Amu?"

I stiffened. "All right."

He looked at me curiously. "You sure about that?"

I sighed. "I don't know. She and I talk all the time; we text, we call each other, but lately she seems kind of distant. It feels like she's pushing me away. I thought that when I got the chance to come back, I'd have a chance to get closer to her… but now that I'm here, she won't talk, won't look at me."

"Really?" He was surprised. "That's weird. She's totally crazy over you, I'm sure of it."  
"I don't know," I repeated. "We weren't even together… maybe I just imagined it all."

"Hey, man." Kukai punched my shoulder. "She's into you, I swear it. No way that she's not. I've seen her before, looking at you. She gets all red and starts stuttering whenever there's any mention of you. Kind of funny, actually."

"I guess…" I stared off into the distance. "I mean, she even told me she didn't need my help keeping Tadase busy."

"Aw, she's probably just feeling embarrassed. You are kind of embarrassing, man."

"What? Really?" I frowned. "I didn't know that."

"Well yeah. I mean, you're always flirting with her, and you know how Amu is with that sort of thing. And you're also kind of provocative."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm sexy." I grinned. "I just can't help being irresistible."

"Shut up." Kukai punched me again. "I'm just saying. Not that you should stop doing that. I mean, then she'd be freaked because… well, when are you not flirty and provocative? It'd scare her. Just ask her what's up and talk it out."

"You're right." I ruffled his hair. "For a little kid, you're pretty smart."

"Hey!" He protested. Then he froze. "Tadase's here!" He whispered.

"Oh, Jesus! Are we even done preparing?" I dashed inside, Kukai right on my heels.

Rima and Utau were in the living room, laughing and chatting while Yaya sat blushing on the floor as far as possible from a worried looking Kairi. Nagihiko was putting the last CD in a box full of the discs, most likely alphabetizing them. The walls were hung with a rainbow assortment of streamers, the last of which Amu's guardian characters were hanging while Kiseki "supervised," while Nagihiko's charas and KusuKusu rolled around in the confetti that scattered the tables. Several balloons were floating on the ceiling, on one of which Pepe was taking a nap. Off to the left was a small area clear of everything except a tiny karaoke machine sitting on a table.

"Tadase's here!" I barked.

"Seriously? You're not pranking us this time?" Utau said warily.

"Yes, he's here! Everyone, get into your places!"

There was a brief chaos as tape and leftover decorations were tossed into a bag, lights were shut off, and people hurried to their hiding places. I slipped into an empty alcove between a window and the wall and held very still.

* * *

**Tadase**

"SURPRISE!"

I jumped slightly and began laughing as the lights flickered on, revealing my grinning friends and my living room decorated with streamers and balloons.

"Whoa!" A wide smile spread across my face. "A surprise party?"

"Did you think we'd forget your birthday?" Utau snorted and whacked the back of my head. KusuKusu giggled.

"Of course not!" I felt like singing, which was kind of funny when I realized there was a karaoke machine in a corner off to the side.

"Shut it and come open your presents." Utau dragged me over to the couch and dumped several presents on my lap. "These are from us and your family."

'Wow, really?" I picked one up and shook it.

Kukai snickered. 'Of course he shakes it first instead of ripping it open like most normal people."

I blushed. "Ha ha."

"Was that supposed to be sarcasm?" Ikuto laughed.

"Psychologically, sarcasm is used by those who have insecurity problems in their life," Kairi smiled, and I wasn't sure whether or not he was joking.

"Boys, stop messing with him!" Utau scolded. "It's his birthday. Now quit stalling and open your presents."

"Yes, ma'am," I said demurely, and proceeded to violently rip and tear the pretty blue paper off a box. "Oh."

It was a small bento box shaped like a small yellow crown. I felt my cheeks grow even hotter. "Ah…"

"Do you like it?" Utau asked. "I got it for you."

"Y-yes," I muttered, setting it down amid to several snickers, and picked up another present, this time in a huge box. I pulled off the paper and opened the box, which revealed a bag, which revealed another wrapped box, which revealed an even smaller box.

"Ah…" I held in a chuckle. "Who's this from?"

"Me," Ikuto said, grinning evilly.

I managed to unwrap the box and finally pulled out a small box of fruit tarts. "Yum," I said quietly, feeling embarrassed. Was I really that predictable that my friends could get my gifts like these without even asking or them in the first place?

I opened several other good presents: movie tickets from Yaya, (I could finally go see that movie!) a Prince album from Nagihiko, (I'd been looking for this CD for ages!) a chess set from Kukai, (I love chess!) A book called _How to Take Over the World _from Rima, (Complete with bookmark!) a box of homemade sweets from Kairi, (Was it that obvious that I loved his cooking?) a bag of kibble (…), a stuffed animal (…?) and from Amu—

"Arf!"

I gasped as Amu, who had disappeared from the from without my notice, came back in smiling and holding a tiny puppy in her arms. "A puppy!" I took the miniature dog from her hands and held it close, laughing and cuddling the little thing.

"It's a girl," Amu told me, grinning. "A toy poodle."

"Thank you," I said happily, giving the little puppy my stuffed lion, who growled as fierce as she could and chewed on her new "kill" gleefully in my lap, letting me stroke her soft curly fur.

"It's like in those cartoons and the guy has hearts for eyes," Nagihiko noted, not-so-discreetly scooting closer to Rima, who blushed fiercely and sat extremely still.

Having unwrapped all my presents, Amu took my puppy from my hands (No, wait! My puppy!) and Yaya dragged me into the kitchen.

"Food," She said proudly.

"Beautiful," I marveled at all the food, which included my all my favorites, not to mention were arranged in fanciful patterns. For some strange reason Yaya blushed at my comment.

"Well?" She prompted. "Are you going to eat?"

"I want to, but.. It looks so pretty, I don't want to mess it up," I said in awe. She snorted.

Ikuto and Kukai ran in. "I'll eat!" Kukai said hopefully. Yaya smacked him and shooed him off.

"It's Tadase's birthday, he gets to eat first."

I picked up a little _onigiri_ and took a bite. "This is really good!"

"It better be," Yaya said threateningly. "It took forever for me to make."

"Mmm!" I took another bite, and Yaya grinned.

"You look cute when you eat!" She giggled. "Like a little starry-eyed chipmunk or something."

I looked up at her, cheeks bulging. "'Choo thing sho?" I said through a full mouth.

Kiseki sighed. "Act more like a king, Tadase!"

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

I padded down the stairs in long stocking-ed feet, desperately hoping that I'd found my way towards any sort of living soul. I'd been lost again for about an hour, and it was already five o' clock. I'd finished up eating and decided that I needed a shower, which due to that fact that I hadn't been clean in a while nor taken a hot shower in a very long time, felt so good a took up a whole hour just showering. And then my… mother had given me a tour of the gigantic house and explained to me the rules and what my life would be like living here.

According to my mother, it was spring break for students here in Osaka. I was to go to Seiyo High, Nagihiko's school, after spring break ended. Curfew was eleven o'clock on school nights and midnight on weekends. If I wanted, I could begin traditional dancing lessons like Nagihiko. No staying up late unless it was for school, and no closed doors if I brought a boy over. Use your manners when guests are over. Simple basic rules, although some of which made no sense. Like the bathrooms, for instance. There were like seven bathrooms on this floor alone, how on earth could I hog them all?

"Nadeshiko?"

I whirled around. "Oh,' I said in relief. "It's you."

My mother stood in front of me, her expression concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I, uh, I'm lost," I said sheepishly. Even though she'd shown me around the house only hours ago. Right.

"I see." She seemed to be fighting back a laugh. "Well, it's dinner time. Would you like to eat? I can show you around the house afterwards."

"Ah, yeah." I followed her down several staircases—how the heck did I end up five floors up?—and through several halls and rooms that looked exactly the same to me.

"..We should be close to the kitchen soon," She called.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I said incredulously. "We've been walking for like ten minutes!"

She smiled. "Ah, look, here is Nagihiko's room. If you'd like, we can move your room closer to ours. It will be easier to navigate this house when you have something familiar and distinct to use as a guide."

"Ah…" I blinked. "Sure." I nodded uncomfortably, not sure what to say, and glanced back to Nagihiko's room. I pushed through the door, which stood ajar.

The room was immaculate, the dark plaid sheets on the bed made,the wood floor spotless and polished, the abstract shelves dusted and categorized and subcategorized. (And it was really creepy. Mean, come on, what guy color-codes his closet?) The only two things apparently out of place were a shiny laptop that was running on some girl named Rima Mashiro's Facebook page and a large box of CDs.

I pulled one randomly out of the box. "Lady GaGa," I read and shrugged. "Never heard of her." My mother coughed. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," She scratched idly at her neck.

"What are these doing here?" I asked.

"I'm not quite sure. I thought he was going to take this box to his friend's house" She peered on high shelves hanging over his bookshelf. "His traditional music is gone."

We looked at each other. "You don't think…?"

Half an hour later, I stood in front of a large house, carrying a big box of CDs.

"I'll just bring these inside and then…" I trailed off, seeing that the streamlined black car, which had been chauffeured by some old dude, was gone.

"Okay, then," I muttered. "I guess I'll be staying here."

With a strange, nervous feeling I couldn't explain, I let myself in through the gate and walked the path to towards the muffled laughter and the sound of music, Azumi following behind me. Taking a deep breath, I walked up the porch and knocked on the door.

**Tadase**

"So what now?" Rima asked. She stared at each and every one of us, probing for ideas. After deciding to play kids for a day and playing games like 'Tag', 'Hide-and-Seek', and 'Five-Ten-Groundies' for several hours. As it turned out, the karaoke music that Nagihiko had brought was actually his dance music. Apparently he grabbed the wrong box, and since none of us knew any words to any of the music, that was one less thing to do.

Utau piped up, grinning evilly. "How about we play 'Spin the Bottle?'"

Immediately there was an uproar. Rima, Ikuto, Nagihiko and Kukai all said loudly, "YES!" while Kairi, Amu, Yaya and I blushed and yelled, "NO!" All of the guardian characters squealed loudly and flew off, presumably to get as far away from this room as fast as possible. I mean, really, there's only one girl who I want to kiss and she's off limits. And playing 'Spin the Bottle' would open me up to the chances of kissing my other lady friends, who were like sisters to me… or, knowing Utau, the possibility would extend to my guys friends as well. And contrary to popular belief, I am not gay. I think.

"Let's put it to a vote. All in favor of Spin the Bottle?" Rima raised her hand, as did Utau, Kukai, Ikuto, and Nagihiko. "Looks like we win, guys. Get in a circle."

Kukai grabbed an empty soda bottle from the table and placed it in the middle of our semi-reluctant circle. I sat down tentatively next to Ikuto, who was hopefully eyeing Amu. Utau and Rima, sitting side by side, smiled mischievously at each other. Rima turned and elbowed Yaya, raising her eyebrows suggestively and looking back and forth between her and Kairi. Yaya blushed and muttered, slumping down next to Kukai. Nagihiko just sat calmly between Amu and Kairi.

'All right, who's first?" Utau said cheerfully. "How about the birthday boy?" She eyed me up and down, and glanced at Amu before quickly looking away.

"Uh… I, uh…" Suddenly the room was very hot. I tugged at my collar.

"Aw, give the boy a break, babe," Kukai laughed. "I'll go first." He took hold of the bottle and prepared to spin it.

"Wait!" Rima cried. "Rules!"

"Oh, yeah." Kukai paused. "Do we agree that whoever the bottle lands on, boy or girl, must kiss the spinner?"

"Hmm…" Rima thought. "Yeah, let's go with that. More fun that way. And it's gotta last at least ten seconds."

"You guys are so weird," Amu muttered.

"Oh, Amu, don't be a homophobe." Utau giggled playfully.

"No! I'm not—! Utau, your boyfriend is playing!"

Utau smiled graciously. "I'm secure enough in my relationship with Kukai that a simple matter of an emotionless kiss for a measly game doesn't bother me."

"—Well, your brother is playing!" Amu sputtered.

Utau glanced at Ikuto. "Oh, yeah." She wrinkled her nose. "Damn. Okay, I'm out, then." She harrumphed, and plopped herself in a chair. Chin resting in her hands. She batted her eyelashes at Kukai, who winked and blew her a kiss, and spun the bottle.

It turned slowly, pointing at each and every one of us in turn. _Please not me, please not me,_ I prayed. And no, I'm not a homophobe either. I'm just frugal with my lips, okay?

The bottle slowed to a stop, and came to a rest on Yaya, who widened her eyes in shock and embarrassment, glancing at Kairi, whose jaws and fists were clenched tighter than a vise. "I—I—"

I felt so bad for her, as Kukai moved over to Yaya, who was now blushing fiercely as he approached, and tried to find some place to stare while he kissed her, but kept finding that my eyes were drawn in horror to the pair. Kukai tilted Yaya's chin up and pressed his lips against hers. Yaya stilled, eyes wide, not moving, as Kukai held her there for five, six, and seven… ten seconds and released her, looking slightly pink as he sat back down. I watched as Kairi's face went rather red and he took several long, deep breaths to calm himself.

Utau suppressed a smile, and met eyes with Kukai, who gave her a tiny smile. I got the horrible sensation that this game was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather an idea that had become a plan.

Dear God, save us now.

"Amu, you can go next," Utau said brightly.

"Are you sure?" Amu pleaded. Utau gave her a dirty look that shut Amu up.

I turned bright red as the bottle slowed to a stop right in front of me.

Oh, no.

Rima giggled. "Go on, Amu, kiss Tadase!"

Amu made a series of strange noises as she took several shaky steps over to where I sat frozen. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, only watched, as if from outside my body, as Amu grew closer and closer… I could see the embarrassment in her eyes… the freckles on her cheeks, feel her breath against my face…

She pressed her lips tentatively against mine, and something suddenly clicked inside my head. Almost automatically, I closed my eyes and kissed her harder, raising a hand to her cheek. She squeaked in surprise, and pulled away.

"Whoops," She blushed. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

"Um… yes?" I heard myself half say, half ask from a distance.

Whether the game continued or there was a long, awkward silence, I didn't notice. My head was buzzing, fingers and toes tingling. I felt like I'd had a shot of caffeine, a jolt of electricity in my bones.

"Your turn, Kairi," Nagihiko said cheerfully. I finally realized that the game had progressed while I was off in la-la land. In fact, at the moment, Kukai and Ikuto were avoiding each other's eyes, Nagihiko was pink in the face, and Rima was shooting a scarlet Amu a look of pure jealousy.

Kairi calmly spun the bottle, and held a look of bright determination as it landed on Yaya. Immediately Yaya seemed as if she were going to faint. The utter terror in her eyes was utterly evident. Her eyes darted here and there, as if she were trying to find an escape so she could run and move far away from here for the rest of her life and never look back. Kairi, however, held a determined and fiery light in his eyes as he stalked over to Yaya and knelt in front of her. Yaya gasped audibly and literally fell over, lying on her back as Kairi, now down on his hands and knees, lowered his lips to hers. Just before he was about to kiss her, the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it!" I leapt to my feet and hurriedly reached the door and pulled it open. And stared as a frighteningly familiar face looked back at me.

"Uh… hi," the girl said nervously. "Is Nagihiko here? He left some CDs at home, and I thought maybe he might need them…"

* * *

_As it turned out, the guardian characters were convening in the kitchen, sitting on the table of food and munching nervously on a platter of chocolate chip cookies._

"_This is bad, really bad!" Ran squealed. "This is going to make everything so much more complicated!"_

"_It's already complicated, didn't I tell you about earlier this afternoon with Yaya and Kairi-kun?"_

"_Yeah, yeah, she won't talk to him, huh… won't even look him in the eye…"_

"_And we just got Nagi-kun and Rima-tan to be friends!" KusuKusu wailed. "What'll happen if either one kisses someone else, they'll be angry and jealous at each other and neither will make up! They'll be enemies again…"_

"_Tadase needs to get over Amu Hinamori," Kiseki huffed. "A kiss from her is not going to help him forget her!"_

"_Guys!" Miki snapped. "Stop it! We can't stop this from happening, obviously, so we need to figure out how to fix things afterward!"_

"_How?" Rhythm raised an eyebrow. "We can't control their emotions, and besides, they should work things out for themselves."_

_Temari punched him. "If you've been paying attention to any one of them for the last couple years, you can see that they're getting absolutely nowhere. Without us, Nagi wouldn't be getting ready to actually make a move and Ikuto wouldn't be here to sweep Amu off her feet."_

"_And what about Tadase and Yaya and Kairi?" Rhythm asked pointedly. _

"_Of course we're going to help them!" Musashi said. "Kairi-kun needs to stop wasting his time and get on with it, it's not manly to pine over a woman for several years and do nothing to catch her attention."_

"_Well, he better do something fast, because Kukai seems to be doing it for him," Daichi was peering through the keyhole._

"_What?" Daichi yelled as Pepe shoved him out of the way and peered out of the keyhole. "Oh, no," She pouted. "And what with her just getting over a crush on Kukai, too… Wait, why does Ikuto keep shooting glances at Tadase?" She turned to face the other guardian characters. "I know I've asked this a thousand times, but are you absolutely sure the two of them are not gay and hopelessly in love with each other?"_

_Ran sighed. "Stop with that fantasy, Pepe. Amu and Ikuto love each other. Ikuto does not love Tadase, I'm sure of that. Plus," she added, "it's so obvious Tadase and Kukai are in love with each other."_

"_Will you stop pairing Tadase up with his friends!" Kiseki exploded. "If he ever falls in love with another man, it will not be one of his friends! He's got higher standards!"_

_Su, who had been previously silent and ignored, stood up on the top of a small pile of rice cakes, took a deep breath and cried, "Be quiet!" The charas all stopped and turned to stare in her direction. Su harrumphed. "Thank you. Now, please, let's get back to deciding how to fix this."_

_The stunned guardian characters were silent for a moment and then businesslike chatter began. Rhythm gave Kiseki one last dirty look, muttering things that sounded a lot like "Nagi's way out of Tadase's league" and "higher standards, my butt" out of the corner of his mouth._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	8. Gum Wrappers Are Excellent Gifts!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Kukai**

I heard a faintly familiar girl's voice at the door, speaking nervously. I glanced over curiously, seeing long violet hair up in a ponytail. Something itched at the back of my mind. I only knew one person with hair like that…

Tadase stood in front of the door, wide-eyed and mumbling incoherently.

"Dude, what's up?" I put an arm around his shoulder. "Something wrong?" I glanced into the face of the girl, who was about my height and wore familiar clothes. "Holy shit."

A female Nagihiko was somehow staring me in the face. She looked exactly like him, wore his clothes, even sounded a little like the falsetto Nagihiko had used when everyone thought he was a girl, except older.

Nagihiko himself bounded up behind us. "What is it?" He saw… himself? Herself? "Nadeshiko, hi! What are you doing here?"

"Nagihiko!" The girl—Nadeshiko?—smiled in relief. "Hi, sorry. Uh, you left these CDs at the house, and I thought that maybe you might need them."

"Oh, yeah!" Nagihiko grinned sheepishly. "I, uh, mixed them up. Right. Well, since you're here, it might be good to introduce you to my friends!"

"Are you sure?" The girl asked timidly. "I don't want to crash any party."

"No, no," I said, frowning over my shoulder at Nagihiko. "No, we'd like to know about you. Come on in."

Nagihiko led the new girl and I into the living room, pulling a shocked Tadase into the room after us.

"Hey, guys," Nagihiko said in a falsely cheery voice, "I'd like to introduce you to my long-lost twin sister, Nadeshiko."

There was silence, as the blush faded from Yaya's cheeks and Kairi stopped pouting, as everyone else looked shocked out of their wits.

"Um… Hi?" Nagi…Nadeshiko-shi said tentatively.

"You didn't tell me you had a long-lost twin sister!" Rima said furiously.

"He didn't tell any of us he had a long-lost twin sister," I glared at Nagihiko.

Utau demanded, "Why are you only introducing her to us now?"

Amu cried out, "That is so awesome!"

"That is so weird," Ikuto said, his gaze flickering back and forth from Nagihiko and his twin.

"Calm down, guys, I'm sure there's some explanation to this," Tadase said reassuringly. And of course when there's no danger of romance-y stuff he reverts back to his kingly self. "Right, Nagihiko?"

"Well, yeah…" Nagihiko laughed. 'Actually, I just met her yesterday, and she's moving in with us. Turns out I had a twin when I was born, but there was some mix up and she ended up… well…" He stopped and turned to Nadeshiko, looking embarrassed. "I'll let you tell your own story, shall I?"

"Uh…" Nadeshiko-shi looked as if she would rather let Nagihiko continue. "Sure. Um, hi. I'm Nadeshiko. Yeah, there was apparently some mix-up at the hospital, and I got sent to an orphanage. And then…" A shadow crossed her expression. "Well, I met Nagihiko and now I'm going to live with him. And go to your school. So, hi." She finished lamely.

We all stared at her. Because what was there to say?

"So… can you guys introduce yourselves?" Nagihiko asked.

Rima popped up first, surprising everyone. "Hi, I'm Rima Mashiro. Nice to meet you."

Nadeshiko smile, which was kind of creepy because of how much it looked like Nagihiko's smile. "Nice to meet you, um, Mashiro-san."

Rima smiled. "Call me Rima-chan. I have a feeling we're going to be friends. Can I call you Nade-chan?"

"Sure… Rima-chan," The girl smiled.

Yaya, looking excited (and relieved to get out from under Kairi) leapt forward like her usual bubbly self and immediately hugged Nadeshiko, who looked absolutely freaked out that a random stranger was hugging her. "I'm Yaya Yuiki! You can call me Yaya-chan! I'm going to call you Nade-chi, 'kay?"

Tadase shook her hand. "My name is Tadase Hotori. May I call you Fujisaki-san?"

"Y-Yeah… Hotori-san?"

Kairi held out his hand. "My name is Kairi Sanjou."

"It's good to meet you," Nadeshiko-shi shook his hand, "Um… you can call me…"

"I'll call you Nadeshiko-san, is that all right?" Kairi asked gently.

"Of course… Kairi-kun."

Amu hopped to her feet, a bright, friendly smile across her face. "I'm Amu Hinamori. Go ahead and call me Amu-chan." The welcoming smile made Nadeshiko-shi relax a little, which wasn't surprising because Amu was without a doubt the friendliest girl I knew. "Can I call you Nade-chi?"

Ikuto got to his feet lazily and loped gracefully over, giving Nadeshiko-shi a flirty wink. She blushed. "Hello, Nadeshiko," He drawled, and I had a sudden flashback of seeing him tease Amu like this. "I'm Ikuto Tsukiyomi. You can call me whatever you want." Out of the corner of my eye, Amu glowered.

"Nice to meet you… Tsukiyomi." Nadeshiko gave him a cold smile, and Ikuto's grin widened.

Utau pushed him out of the way and grabbed my arm. "Pay no attention to him. I'm Utau Hoshina. Well… actually, my real name is Utau Tsukiyomi. I'm Ikuto's sister."

"Oh. Nice to meet you…?"

"Utau. Call me Utau."

"Okay." Nadeshiko-shi looked surprised. First name only already? Bold move. That's my girl.

"This is my boyfriend, Kukai Souma."

I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. Call me Kukai. Sounds better without an honorific."

"Okay… Kukai. Nadeshiko." She nodded. "Okay."

Nagihiko walked up to her, his face serious. "My name is Nagihiko Fujisaki. I believe we've met before?"

Nadeshiko laughed. "Ah, yes sir." She bowed dramatically. "If you remember, my name is Nadeshiko Fujisaki."

"Ah, yes." They exchanged mischievous grins. I got a bad feeling that life from now on would include several pranks from these two that, from the looks of things, were going to get along very well.

"So, Nade-chi," Amu said. "Would you like to stay here and hang with us?"

"Oh. Oh! Yeah, I guess. I mean—sure, as long as I'm not intruding."

Tadase grinned, a sight that suprised me, because I had never seen him smile like that at anyone other than Amu. "It's my birthday party. As long as you have a gift for me, you can stay."

Nadeshiko pursed her lips, digging in her pockets. "Ah! Here." She handed him a stick of gum. "A gift."

Tadase took it and studied it. "This may be the best gift I've ever received," He declared.

"Why, thank you." Nadeshiko giggled.

"…So, what now?" Ikuto asked.

Utau elbowed him. "Don't be rude."

Ikuto shook his head. "No, seriously. We can't do what we were doing before, that would be… kind of messed up."

"Oh, yeah, you're right." Rima pursed her lips. "Let's just eat dinner and decide what to do afterwards."

There was a funny little noise, and out popped a guardian character from Nagihiko's twin's shirt pocket. A tiny little girl chara pouted, floating in front of Nadeshiko-shi's face. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"O-Oh. Um, this is Azumi. She's my guardian character. Um, you guys all… have them too, I notice." Her voice trailed off.

Silence.

"You have a guardian character?" I asked.

Amu was first to recover. She smiled. "That's cool! It's nice to meet you, Azumi." She glanced around her, searching for her own guardian characters. "Where did they go? Ran! Miki! Su! Dia! Where did you guys go?"

Amu's four guardian characters all zoomed from the kitchen and began fluttering around her head. "There you are." Amu plucked them from the air. "This is Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia. Guys, this is Azumi."

"Hiya!" Ran wiggled out of Amu's grip and shook Azumi's hand enthusiastically. "Great to meet you!"

Azumi looked rather alarmed, so Miki flew next to Ran and led her away, gently shaking Azumi's hand. "My name is Miki. Sorry about that," She laughed, jerking a hand over her shoulder. "She's Amu's honest, sportier would-be self. I'm her cooler, artistic side. And this," She led a smiling Su over, "is Su."

"Hello!" Su said merrily. "Guess what? I'm Amu's girly cooking side!"

Dia floated over and smiled graciously, curtsying. "My name is Dia. I'm Amu's radiance."

Azumi chuckled softly. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Daichi!" The mint-green haired guardian character grinned. "Kukai's guardian character!"

Rhythm floated over, grinning mischievously. "You already know me." He gave Azumi a tiny hug and winked at her. Azumi turned red and muttered, "Flirt," under her breath.

Kusukusu knocked Rhythm out of the way, cart wheeling in front of Azumi. "I'm Kusukusu!"

Musashi bowed. "I am Musashi, Kairi's guardian character."

"I'm Tadase's guardian character. You can call me Kiseki." He put his hands on his hips and laughed. "I am supreme ruler here, so if you have any trouble with these peasants—"

Temari whacked him in the head with her sleeve. "And you already know me too!"

"Hi, Temari!" Azumi hugged her best friend (of a few days) and began chatting with the several other guardian characters, apparently finding the subject of their conversation very interesting.

Utau stepped forward. "I used to have guardian characters, Il and El. I… they're gone now, but I can still see other guardian characters, even though I don't have any of my own anymore."

"I used to have one too." Ikuto spoke up. "My little cat Yoru," He said fondly.

Utau smiled wistfully and said to Azumi," It's good to meet you. I—" She stopped.

"Utau? Is something wrong?"

She stared at Azumi, her mouth moving silently, her eyes filling with shock and, to my surprise, tears.

"Utau! What's wrong?" I leapt to her side.

"El," She whispered. "She looks like El…"

I glanced at the guardian character and realized Utau was apparently hallucinating. Because El was not Temari with white hair, silver eyes and a white kimono.

Azumi only looked confused. "El?"

Utau opened her mouth, as if trying to say something, but no sound came out. Then suddenly she sprinted away and through a door.

Ikuto broke the silence. "…What was that all about?"

Amu hastened to follow her, but I held her back. "No, let me. You guys stay here, I'll be back." I rushed after Utau and found her, as promised, inside the bathroom, sniffling. I knocked on the door. "Utau, it's me, Kukai. Let me in."

There was no answer. Then, a great clattering noise, and silence.

"Utau?" I found the door unlocked, and pushed it open, stepping into the small space. "Are you all right?"

The bathroom was empty. A small window above the bathtub was hanging open, swinging slightly in the evening breeze.

"Shit," I muttered, and, without hesitating, clambered into the bathtub and squeezed through the window.

"How the hell did she fit through here?" I gasped, wriggling wildly. "Daichi? Help me!"

"Why did you try and go through the window?" Daichi's muffled voice was annoyed. "Jeez, I can't even let you look for your girlfriend without you getting trapped in a bathroom window…"

With what would've been a funny popping noise if it hadn't been slightly painful, I fell to the ground and face-planted on the ground.  
"Ouch," I mumbled.

Daichi floated next to me. "Come on, we gotta find Utau!"

"Right!" I got to my feet and looked around wildly, before seeing a distant figure at the corner of the street running away. By the light of the moon, I saw long blonde hair whip behind the figure.

"That must be her!" I hastened to follow her, leaping over the wall and sprinting to catch up with her. I just barely saw blonde hair from around the street corner. When I reached the intersection, she was gone.

* * *

_Utau sat down on the curb, feeling lost and slightly bewildered. Why had she just run out of Tadase's birthday party like that? She wasn't that messed-up over the loss of Il and El, right? She missed them, yeah, had even shed a tear or two over them when it was time to say goodbye, and it would've been nice to see them again, but to do something so reckless just over seeing a guardian character that looked like El made no sense. All she knew is that suddenly, her mind had gone blank, her body acting of its own accord._

"_I'm just acting strange," She told herself. "I need to get back to the party, I'm acting stupid."_

_Shaking her head as if to clear it, she stood and jogged back, looking around her. Nothing looked familiar. "Great, now I'm lost," She muttered realizing that she had no idea where she was or how she had ended up there. Utau dug her phone out of her skirt pocket and found her phone had no service. "Dang it!"_

"_You lost, little lady?" Standing at the bus stop, apparently waiting for the next ride, was a tall man in a strange but fine suit holding an old briefcase. What a man of his obvious wealth was doing here at night made no sense, but the crinkles around his eyes and his kind, if curious, expression made Utau want to trust him. Plus, Utau could have sworn she had seen the man somewhere._

"_I guess so," she replied cautiously._

"_There's a shop around the corner. I believe they sell both maps and have good cell phone service."_

"_Really? Thank you, sir!" Utau smiled at the man, and sped up around the corner, seeing a tiny, squashy looking place that looked slightly worn-down but cheerful. Very outdated electronic products were on display. Entering the shop, she saw an exhibit of old postcards, a weird soda machine, and row upon row of slightly outdated devices._

_Utau grabbed at her cell phone and found, to her surprise, that something was very wrong with it. "What the…?" The phone was making an odd buzzing noise, the screen flickering._

_An elderly woman wearing at the cashier counter smiled at her. "Hello, dear. Are you looking for anything in particular?"_

"_Ah… I'm lost. Can I get a map?" Utau asked, frowning at her phone and shoving back into her pocket._

"_Of course." The woman smiled and plucked a map from a display Utau was half-sure hadn't been there before. "Anything else?"_

_Utau stared at the store around her. The objects on the shelves, she realized, were not slightly outdated as she had once thought, but dating as far back as ten years, yet they all looked brand-new. "…Yeah. I'll get something to drink." Just in case, she thought, and turned to the soda machine._

_She didn't recognize any of the drinks, so she picked one at random and paid for the drink and the map._

_The old woman smiled at her. "That'll be it, then?"_

"_Yes, ma'am." Utau nodded politely, and took a drink of the unfamiliar soda. "Whoa, this is good!"_

"_Of course, miss." The old lady chuckled. "Kids your age love that soda, don't they?"_

"_Uhm… yes?" Utau, who had never seen the soda before, was sure she didn't know a single soul who had ever heard of this drink. Anyways, it was good. It was a strange sort of sweet, with a hint of peach and mango, as well as a cool candy-like taste._

_Utau turned to thank the old lady, but she had disappeared. Frowning, Utau took another swig of her pop and walked out the door, unfolding the map._

"_Wait as second…" Utau read and reread the map. "This is way outdated!" She turned to reenter the shop. "Miss—huh?"_

_The shop was gone._

_Feeling spooked, Utau took a glance at her drink, and tossed it in the trash can, worried she was hallucinating. Turning the corner, the man she had met before was boarding the bus._

"_Hey!" Utau shouted._

_The man turned and saw her. He smiled and waved, and took a seat. The bus, Utau realized to her horror, was translucent. As it drove off, it became entirely invisible, though she could've sworn she heard the sounds of the bus fading into the distance._

_Without warning, Utau's throat filled with fire. Her head swam, her vision blurred with pain. A freezing wind blew ice across every inch of her skin, even through her jacket. The pleasant aftertaste on her tongue was suddenly too-sweet, numbing her tongue like a drug, and she gagged. Shuddering, she stumbled over to the nearest bench, which was shifting into a large red mushroom, and collapsed as black ants swarmed over her eyes._

* * *

"Where'd she go?" I ran in the same direction I'd seen her run, down the long street, past house after house until finally, after what felt to me like hours and hours of agonizing worry, I glimpsed a figure collapsed on a bus bench.

Blonde pigtails.

"Utau!" I cried, rushing to her side. She looked awful, with bloodshot eyes and horribly pale skin. I took off my hoodie and propped her up against me, wrapping the hoodie around her.

"Mmm…" Utau shifted slightly. "Kukai?"

"It's me, Utau. Right here."

She snuggled closer. "I wanna go to bed…" She mumbled, snuggling into my chest and rubbing her tearstained cheeks into my shirt.

"Something's not right," Daichi murmured.

I held her closer carried her back, walking slowly and evenly as the night spread across the sky, deep blue blossoming behind the soft clouds and pushing against the sunset as stars appeared and began to twinkle across the horizon. Cars rushed, the people of the day hurried home, and the night folk came out, laughing and chattering, ignorant of Utau and I.

The sight of the large luxury apartment complex rose in sight, high up so that it brushed against the sky, the last fading rays illuminating the sleek black and white buildings with a rosy glow. I stepped up to the gates, typing in the security code and carrying Utau through the complex, past the outdoor pool, primary and secondary schools, the university, private airport, recreation center, shopping mall and amusement park to the next gate, typing in a separate code to get to the actual apartment buildings, and walked into the closest one, black and the smallest of its kind.

"Hey, Asaoka-san," I said to the doorman. "Just bringing Miss Hoshina home. It was a rather long day for her."

"Of course." He smiled and opened the door, letting us into the lobby. I strode across the shining white marble floor flecked with semi-precious stones, passing the large crystal chandelier and the velvet chairs made from twisted mahogany, and entered the glass elevator, nodding at the elevator man. The elevator shot up, and slowed to a stop on the seventh floor.

I stepped out of the elevator and walked down the long hallway to its end, where Utau's four bedrooms, three bathrooms, one kitchen and living room plus a large balcony lay in wait for us.

I unlocked the door and punched in the security code, entering into the living room and carrying her up the stairs to the master bedroom.

I frowned. Maybe I should help her get clean first? Maybe get her into the shower or the bath or something… no, that seemed kind of perverted. But it seemed like the right thing to do, clean my girlfriend and put her to bed, and sleep here so I could take care of her in the morning… but what to do?

"Kukai," She mumbled, tugging at the front of my shirt and pulling my face close to hers. "I'm so tired…"

"Then let's get you to bed," I said gently, and laid her on the bed, pulling the covers over her body.

Utau took a shaky breath. Her eyes were fevered, unfocused. "Kiss me," She whispered weakly.

I smiled softly and pressed my lips to hers, cradling her head. I could taste something strange, something too-sweet on her tongue, like a drug.

"That's not good," I murmured. "Should I take you to the hospital?"

"No!" Utau sat up quickly, shaking her head. "No… please…"

"Utau, if you're sick… if you're ill…"

"No, I'll be fine—" She shivered. "I just need sleep. Please?"

I sighed, putting my head in my hands and trying to think. "I guess so," I said through my fingers. "But if you get worse, I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Mmhmm…" She nodded sleepily, and yawned, laying back on the bed. Immediately her breathing slowed. She was fast asleep.

I shook my head and laughed softly. She looked so cute. Her expression was so relaxed, so happy, almost childish. Cuter still, a little drool was trickling out of the corner of her mouth.

I wiped off the drool on her cheek and kissed her forehead, sitting down on the edge of the bed and watching her sleep. I felt my own eyelids droop, and before I knew it, midnight darkness overtook my vision, and I was dreaming.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	9. Speaking In Perfect Unison is Creepy!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

"Rise and shine!" My mother called cheerfully, dragging back the curtains so that bright sunlight flooded my new room and pierced my closed eyes like daggers.

"Ack!" I leapt awake, the sudden movements and confusion shoving all drowsy thoughts out of me and putting me on my guard.

"Ah…" My mother stared at the knife I'd been keeping under my pillow, just in case. "Time for school?"

"Oh. Really?" I checked the clock. Seven o'clock. "Okay. Um… Do I need to do anything special?"

"I've got your uniform here," My mother held up a bundle of clothes, "as well as all your supplies. Nagihiko will help show you around the school so you don't get lost."

"Thank you," I said politely. Just because I have a knife under my pillow doesn't mean I don't have manners.

"I'll leave you to get ready. Bathroom's down the hall to your left." She exited.

Fifteen minutes later, I had taken a ten-minute shower and dressed in my new clothes. I stared at myself in the mirror, taking it in. I'd be wearing this outfit six days a week, almost every day of every year.

I looked pretty good.

Over a black blazer with a collar edged in white, I wore a white-collared shirt with a pleated black plaid skirt and a matching tie. The black knee-socks weren't too bad, even if the shoes were kind of ugly. Not that it mattered, I was lucky it was a cool spring. Otherwise I'd be roasting in all this black. Nevertheless, I grabbed an old ribbon I've always used to tie my hair up with; a long red tie with each end tipped with a little purple sakura blossom. I'd always found it comforting for some reason.

I ran a hand over the brown leather pack filled with all my stuff, and slid it over my shoulder. For a book bag filled with supplies, it wasn't actually that heavy. I'd carried heavier… or at least tried to…

Lost in sad memories, I didn't hear Nagi-kun come into my room.

"Hey, Nadeshiko? Are you ready for breakfast?"

"—Oh—yeah. I'm coming." I followed him down a simple but long route to the dining room, where the smell of sausages and eggs wafted across the room. The hall wasn't actually too terribly big, although still quite large. Four seats had been set out at the far end of table, all close together. Sitting at the head was a man with a newspaper hiding his face. To his right, my mother. And best of all…

"Food!" I cried.

My mother looked up, and the man set down the newspaper.

The man, who I guessed must be my father, looked slightly surprised to see me. His black hair was cropped short, his face unsmiling, but from the kind look of his almond shaped amber eyes and the crinkle lines around his eyes made it obvious he smiled a lot, too. I could see mine and Nagi-kun's face there as well, with the shape of my eyes, my nose, my eyelashes, and my complexion.

He stood and bowed. "You must be Nadeshiko," He said formally. I noticed his expression was slightly strained. "It's very good to meet you."

"Thank you," I said uncertainly.

Nagi-kun bowed. "Hello, father. It's very god to have you back."

My father smiled and stepped forward, opening his arms. "Enough formalities. Where's my hug?" Nagi-kun grinned and leapt into his father's arms, who chuckled and ruffled his hair. "It's good to see you, son."

I stood by awkwardly, not sure what do. Because really, what are you supposed to do? I barely knew my own mother, let alone my father.

My mother smiled, watching my father with adoring eyes. "All right, that's enough. Time to eat breakfast," she scolded. "Otherwise they'll be late."

* * *

"_Last week's party was terrible!" Ran pouted, sitting idly on Amu's kitchen table. "Now their relationships are so much more complicated!"_

"_Oh, I don't know," Miki munched thoughtfully on a fresh orange slice. "Looking back, it's probably more likely that they'll be forced to confront their internal emotions. Most likely this will cause them to act a bit sooner on their feelings than normal."_

_Su giggled. "Uh huh! That's true! They might need a little more help though… they all still seem a bit shy." She nodded wisely._

"_Speaking of shy, what about Tadase?" Dia inquired. "Did you guys see the way he acted around Nagi's twin, Nadeshiko?"_

"_Really?" Ran pondered this. "I didn't notice it."_

_Dia smirked. "Well, Tadase's a bit more subtle than Ikuto is, but he's still a natural player."_

"_Like Amu," Su giggled. "Remember, she managed to charm Ikuto, Tadase, Nagihiko _and_ Kairi in practically a year!"_

"_True. But," Miki said slowly, "but I think maybe we should wait to see if Tadase and Nadeshiko would actually make a good couple. And maybe if they do, they'll sort it out before the others. We should wait a little."_

"_That's probably a good idea," Dia agreed. "So what about the others?"_

"_Well, it's obvious Kairi will make a move earlier. Did you see the look on his face when Kukai kissed Yaya?" Ran laughed. "And the way he reacted when he got the chance to kiss her!"_

"_What about Rima and Nagihiko, though?" Miki said doubtfully. "She was obviously really jealous, but she's also really proud…"_

"_Yup," Su sighed. "She'll probably act like the same old Rima around Nagi and act like there's nothing between her and Nagi."_

"_Is that our primary concern for today?" Ran asked briskly. The others looked at each other and nodded. "Then let's spread the word!"_

_Amu pounded down the stairs. "Ahh! I'm going to be late!" She shoveled down her breakfast of eggs (go figure), gulped down her milk, and dashed out the door, calling her goodbyes behind her._

"_After her!" Ran cried, and the four guardian characters flew at top speed after Amu into the dazzling morning._

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Amu-chan raced up behind Nagi-kun and I, panting. "I woke up late again… Man, it's so hard to get up when you have a longer break, huh?"

"I know," Nagi-kun nodded fervently. "You just get so used to sleeping in later."

I didn't really know what to say. For the past year, even before that, I was used to waking up very early. It was hard to sleep, because for so long I always had to be on guard, just in case. Who knows who crawls the streets at night? Perverts, thieves, bandits… not like I could talk, but that doesn't mean I can't stay on my guard. I'm pretty handy with that knife under pillow, which I regretted not being able to bring to school, but I still retained my well-practiced defense and attack moves from my thieving days. Plus… it had been a long time since I'd had a night where nightmares didn't plague my dreams.

Trying to stay aware of my surroundings, I half-paid attention to Amu-chan and Nagihiko and their conversation. Apparently Tsukiyomi enjoys following us to school, which is kind of weird and perverted, but also funny because while Nagi-kun keeps looking back and grinning at him, Amu-chan has absolutely no idea and he's practically right behind us.

"We're here!"

"Holy crap," I muttered.

Down a wide stone walkway was a huge white slightly octagonal building, with a large arch leading to inside, blue turrets and five whole floors. Surrounding the school was a small forest of trees, along with several walkways, stairs, and window after window that conveyed what were probably large classrooms. As we walked through the arch, we came into a large hall, surrounded by halls and stairs.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Amu-chan sighed. "It's a great school, you learn lots, and it's actually usually interesting… So how did your entrance exams go?"

"Oh, yeah!" And they were absolutely awful… I was extremely lucky I barely passed, seeing as going to a good school was never an option, and I've missed school for over a whole year… "Okay, I guess."

"It's all right," Nagi-kun said reassuringly. "They're not too bad. Maybe a little difficult, but that's Seiyo Academy for you."

"You-re lucky your family's so rich," Amu-chan grumbled. "Cost my parents a fortune."

"Luckier still that the entrance exams were last week," Nagi-kun said bracingly.

"Hey, guys!" Yaya-chan walked over to meet us. "I'm so tired from last night." She yawned. "I had to sit and watch some kiddy movie with Tsubasa until he fell asleep. At least I got my homework done before!"

"You mean, Kairi helped you finish your homework," Nagi-kun said, grinning.

"Oh…" Yaya-chan blushed. "Um… no. Uh, something came up and I did it myself."

I rescued her. "So the school," I said hopefully. "It's not too bad?"

"Oh, yeah!" Yaya laughed. "It helps when the teachers as focused on us as individuals!"

"Hello," Rima-chan came up behind us. "Nice to see you, Amu, Yaya, Nade-chan." She glanced in Nagi-kun's direction and looked away quickly. "Nagi."

"Hey, Rima!" Nagi-kun sidled over to her hopefully. "Good to see you!" Rima-chan turned to give Nagi-kun a forced smile, avoiding his eyes. Nagi-kun frowned, but didn't say anything.

"So…" Amu-chan turned to me, trying to break the awkward silence. "Did you get a good breakfast?"

"Yeah," I smiled wistfully. "Eggs and granola and yogurt and fresh fruit."

"You should sit with us at lunch." Amu-chan bumped my shoulder.

"Really? Thanks!" Amu-chan was a good friend.

"You're welcome." She grinned.

"That was nice, Amu," Her little guardian character Ran floated around her head.

"Maybe we should make something for her instead?" Her green chara asked. "Su is a wonderful cook!"

"…Rima, are you okay?" Nagi-kun asked, having been trying to start a conversation with Rima and failing dismally. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Rima-chan's chara, KusuKusu, giggled mischievously. "Uh-uh! She's actually got a huuge cru— Mmfph!"

Rima-chan snatched her guardian character out of the air and covered her mouth. "Oh, I've got a—a huge headache," she said hastily. "Because I was up so late…um, finishing my homework."

"I see." Nagi-kun rummaged around in his book bag. "I think I've got aspirin in here somewhere… no, I think I left it at home. Well, the nurse might have some. Maybe I should take you there?"

"No, no, I can go there myself!" She said quickly. "I'll head up there sometime before class. Thanks anyways, though."

"All right." Nagi-kun gave her a dazzling smile. I snickered, and the two of them gave me dirty looks.

"What?" I asked innocently. 'Did I say something?"

"Get out of my way!" _Smack! _Someone behind me plowed right past, shoving me to the side and knocking Rima's bag full of stuff onto the ground and spilling open. A short, curvy girl wearing bright red lipstick, fake eyelashes, and too much eyeliner pushed past me. "Watch it!" She snarled.

Annoyed, I strode up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Uh, miss?"

The girl whirled around, giving me a dirty look. "Did you just touch me?"

"Yes, I did. You knocked my friend's stuff to the ground. Maybe you could at least apologize?"

The girl's eyes widened as she took in my face. "N-Nagihiko-sama?" She stammered. "I'm so sorry! Of course I'll pick up your stuff!" She simpered, then shoved the rest of my friends out of the way and stuffed all Rima's things bag into her bag.

"Hello, Saaya," Nagi-kun said politely. "Have you met my twin sister, Nadeshiko?"

The girl, Saaya, froze. "Twin sister?" She turned in my direction. "Oh… Hello," She said with false politeness. "I'm Saaya Yamabuki." She held out a hand, as if expecting me to kiss it or something.

"Nadeshiko Fujisaki." I shook her hand politely. "Nice to meet you," I lied.

She gave me a fake smile. "You too!" She glanced at my other friends, smirking slightly, and then leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Why don't we talk after school? Meet me at the front of the building."

"Ah… sure thing." I didn't like the look in her eyes, but I decided it was safer to play on this girl's good side. Watching a large crowd of both boys and girls like a mob of fans, getting on her bad side didn't seem like a good idea.

"She's bitch," Rima-chan grumbled. "Always hanging on the other cool kids and bullying everyone else… thinks she's some big shot just because her dad's the head of some huge international corporation."

"She's not the nicest," Amu-chan admitted, "but she's got some finer points."

Nagi-kun chuckled. "Such as?"

Amu-chan was saved from having to answer that by Yaya-chi, who gasped. "Oh, no!" She looked around her wildly, face bright red, and rushed away, calling "See you guys later!" over her shoulder and dashing away down the hallway farthest from us.

"Hey, guys!" Kairi-kun came up behind us, panting slightly. I could see why: he was carrying way more books than the rest of us. "Have you seen Yaya?"

"Um…" I lied, "I think she's at her first class."

"You've got to be kidding me," He said angrily. "She's been avoiding me since she got sick that night… she won't even look me in the eye, let alone talk to me."

I had a very clear picture on why she was avoiding him, but I only nodded sympathetically.

Kairi-san hurried away, looking irritated, and I turned to Amu. "..So, I'm assuming by the fact that we're surrounded by little kids, we're in the wrong part of the campus?"

"Yep." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "It's not the route we usually take, but since we're showing you the school, we thought it'd be better if you saw all of it."

"All right." I shrugged. "So, what's there to see?"

"Well, all the rooms on this side of campus are for, obviously, the primary grade students and the lower secondary students. You probably won't see much of here."

"The next section is for the lower secondary students." Rima dragged me towards the same hall Yaya-chan had run through, Amu and Nagihiko in tow, out through the first building and into the morning sunshine.

"Whoa." I gaped as Rima dragged me down a short, straight path with smaller paths leading from it, grass surrounding everything up to the edges of the forest. The "forest" was held back, but still high enough to get lost. I knew immediately that I could get lost easily in there. I stared as we passed what looked to be a large indoor garden. "What's that?"

"Oh, that's the Royal Garden." My three friends beamed. I could tell this place held a lot of good memories. "Most of us with guardian characters were in this group called the Guardians. We basically protected the school. Pretty much like a student council. It's actually a pretty cool story."

"Oh. Cool."

Many teens around my age were laughing and chattering as my friends pulled me along through the crowd of people and into the building. It looked exactly the same as the first building, only smaller and with three floors instead of five.

"So what's your first class?" Nagi-kun asked. "I've got English II." He groaned. "Oh, the joy. Learning a second language first thing in the morning right after break."

"I've got history," Rima piped up.

"Calculus," Amu-chan sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Something easy."

"Um…" I stared at my schedule. "English, then Geometry."

"Thank goodness, I've got a study buddy!" Rima-chan grinned. "I've got that second period. What about the rest of your schedule?"

"Uh, third hour, gym—"

"Us too," the other three said in unison. (Which was kind of creepy, actually.)

"Fourth hour, Home Ec—"

"I've got that, and so does Tadase, I think," Nagi-kun answered.

"The lunch, and fifth period Civics I—"

Amu-chan interrupted, "Me too!"

"Then sixth period Art II, and seventh period Star Class Home Room."

"Oh, yeah, most of us are in that home room," Amu said gaily. "We have a history with the teacher."

From all around us, a clear bell rang out. All four of us still stood chatting in the main hall.

"Oh, crap!" Rima-chan cursed. "We've got to get to class. That was the warning bell!"

"Oh! Um—"

"I'll take you to class." Nagi-kun grabbed my hand and ran.

"See you later!" I called.

Nagi-kun pulled me up a staircase and down the emptying hallway to the right, all the way to the end and up another staircase.

"Here we go!" Nagi-kun opened the door to the nearest classroom. "Wait out here, I'll talk to the teacher.

A class of what was probably only around forty people but felt like forty million stared as my twin brother walked calmly into the classroom. From the looks on their faces, I guessed Nagi-kun was fairly popular.

"Nagihiko-san. You're late." The teacher, with light brown, almost carroty mess hair, frowned slightly. "Hurry and sit down, please."

"I'm sorry, Nikaidou-sensei, but..." He whispered in the teacher's ear.

"Ah, yes, I'll do so." He nodded and smiled. Nagi-kun gave a comforting glance in my direction.

The teacher cleared his throat, and Nagi-kun walked over to the door. "Class, we have a new student. If you could please be kind and friendly to her, I'm sure she would appreciate it." He turned to the door and met eyes with me. "Please come in, miss."

Tentatively stepping to the from of the class, head down, seriously terrified, and feeling those forty million eyes on me was not the way I had wanted to start my day.

"Class, this is Nadeshiko Fujisaki. Could you introduce yourself, Nadeshiko-san?"

"Y-yes..." I gulped, and forced myself to raise my eyes. "My name is Nadeshiko Fujisaki." Stupid, they already know that! "Um... I'm Nagihiko's twin sister. It's very nice to meet you."

There was a pause. "Nagihiko-sama has a twin sister?" Someone said.

"So cool!"

"She's pretty!"

"Hello, Nadeshiko-sama!"

I only nodded and looked around, trying to find a seat.

"Fujisaki-san!" I saw, thank God, a familiar face. "Hotori-san," I said n relief. "Can I sit next to you?"

He smiled. "Of course." He got to his feet and, pulling out the chair of a empty desk, offered me a seat and pushed me back in when I sat down.

I heard a lot of whispers, most of which had to do with Hotori-san and I and how cute a couple we would make. I blushed. Yeah, right. Hotori-san was good looking, with soft and shiny-looking blonde hair, girlish red-violet eyes and a slim, almost feminine build, but then so was tall, muscular Kukai, and just-got-out-of-someone-else's-bed, drop dead sexy and freakishly tall (he had to be at least six feet!) Tsukiyomi. Even Kairi-kun, although kind of nerdy and geeky, had a swimmer's build and pretty ocean blue eyes. That didn't mean I wanted to date any of them.

Hotori-san smiled at me, giving off a sparkle that made the other girls around me swoon. I had a feeling this guy was a natural player... that had no idea he was a natural player.

"All right, everyone, time to focus," the teacher called. "So, let's start by previewing what you will be going over this year, just to make sure we are all on the same page..."

I smiled bitterly. Unbeknownst to anyone, even Nagi-kun, I was fairly fluent in English, as I had once been best friends with someone whose first language was English. I never thought the memories of long, happy hours that ended so abruptly would ever come in handy, but they sure would help now.

"Nadeshiko-san, could you please recite the introduction on page four? Go as slow as you like, it can be rather difficult. But this will give you an idea on how hard this ear will be."

I slid my shiny new English book, flipped to the page, and began to read flawlessly: "English is known to be one of the world's most difficult languages. With many rules, English has just as many exceptions to each of those rules. It has roots from all over the world, even here in Japan. This course will include several units, for you will delve deep into the complicated language that is English." I looked up. "Should I go on?"

The teacher, along with the rest of the class, stared at me in total shock. "Ah... no, thank you. That will be good." The teacher gulped.

I slid down in my seat, feeling embarrassed. All right, so maybe I was a little more than just familiar with the language than most other people.

* * *

_The bell rang and at once the students rose out of their seats and left the building, whispering excitedly and throwing glances at Nadeshiko, whose sharp eyes darted around the classroom and whom appeared on edge._

_Azumi poked her head out of Nadeshiko's bag and slipped out undetected. After the class was fairly empty, Azumi called, "Coast is clear!"_

_Ran, Miki, Su and Dia flew quietly into the classroom. "Our guards are on lookout duty," Ran reported. "The warning signal is, 'lil' cheesy fluff balls'."_

"_Okay. Now where's that teacher's planner?" Azumi wondered._

"_I see it!" Su flew up to the desk and inspected the open planner. "Come and see!"_

_The others joined her. "Any good opportunities?" Miki asked._

"_Look! Look!" Ran pointed, hopping on the balls of her feet. "They'll be introducing a spring play. It says they're going to vote on what play to perform, and then draw from a hat to see who will help with what."_

"_That sounds promising," Dia thought. "But how would we pull that off?"_

"_Hmm..." Azumi thought for a second. "Oh! Where's the hat that they're going to draw from?"_

"_Hey! Is this it?" Ran pointed to a small box, peeking inside. "It's already filled with scraps." She pulled one out._

'_Stage Tech," Miki read. "Yup, this is it."_

_Su wiggled into the box. Look! I can fit in here!"_

"_That gives me an idea..." Azumi mused._

* * *

I yanked open the door to the girl's locker room, feeling embarrassed. Maybe I'm just weird, but I have a hard time changing in front of others, because how is it not weird not to take off your clothes around a bunch of people you don't know?

I managed to find an empty, secluded corner, away from the chattering girls. Turning my back to the wall, I slid off my uniform and white collared shit, revealing my 32B size white sports bra. Now, where was that white top...?

"Hey Nade-chan!" Rima-can appeared right next to me.

"Eek!" I leapt back, heat pounding wildly in my chest.

She laughed. "Did I scare you? Ha, sorry." (She didn't actually sound sorry at all.) "Can I change here?"

"Yeah." My breathing slowed enough to the point where I could actually change and not be terrified.

Amu-chan appeared behind the two of us, hair held back from her face in two red clips shaped like Xs. "Are you two done?"

"Yep!" Rima-chan nodded. She kind of looked like a little doll, with her long golden hair that reached to her knees, her huge brown fawn eyes, and her short stature. She would've passed for a seventh grader, had her curves not proven otherwise. Amu-chan, however, with her just-past shoulder length pink hair and the punk clothes and accessories she wore with her uniform, along with her hourglass figure, could pass for girls older than she.

I followed the other two through a gym and outside, where there was a court already set up, just a small basketball with red rubber balls in a line in the center of the court.

"We'll be playing dodgeball today," Amu-chan said happily. "I love this game!"

Rima-chan pouted. "I hate this game. It's stupid."

"You just say that because you're horrible at sports," Nagi-kun said behind us.

Rima-chan went red. "So what?" She muttered, glaring at Nagi-kun. "It's not like I'm aiming to be good at sports, anyways."

"Of course, because you're bad at sports," Nagi-kun laughed.

Rima turned crimson. "Sh-shut up!"

The gym teacher, a dark-haired woman with her hair in a ponytail, walked over. "Mashiro-san, Fujisaki-san, stop flirting. Class is about to start."

The two blushed and opened their mouths to protest and say that no, they were not flirting, but she gave them a look, and we all sat down with the growing group of students milling around on the court.

"All right!" The teacher called out. "Today, obviously, we'll be playing Dodgeball! Boys against girls! Boys, that side! Girls, this side! When I blow my whistle, get a ball and begin throwing! Hit someone on the head, and you get detention! Hit them in the privates, you get double detention! Get hit anywhere else, and you're out! Throw a ball and someone catches it, and you're out! Make a throw into the other team's basketball basket, and everyone who's out on your team is no longer out! Last team standing wins!" She moved off to the side. "Ready, set, go!" She blew her whistle.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	10. Su Makes a Mistake!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Rima**

The whistle sounded, and immediately balls began flying. I dodged a ball hurriedly, knowing that if I tried to throw a ball I'd be out. Best I could do for the team was just to avoid the balls. And yet...

A ball whizzed past my head, just over my shoulder, and I shrieked. "Hey!" I shouted angrily. "No heads!" And then I saw who had thrown the ball.

Nagihiko grinned evilly from the other side. I growled, completely forgetting that I wasn't good at sports, and grabbed a ball from the air.

Oh, he is going down.

I leapt forward and began pelting him with balls, all of which he dodged easily and threw right back at me. I leapt out of the way, still battling him one-on-one, completely ignoring the others. Which is how one of the other boys—Tadase, in fact—hit me in the leg with a ball.

I glanced down in surprise, and realized I'd gotten hit. Dammit. Harrumphing, I trudged over to the sidelines and plopped down, shooting Nagihiko a dirty look. He laughed at me, and was promptly hit in the chest with a ball, thrown by his own sister. Nade-chan gave him a sweet, innocent look that said, "What? Did I do something?" He glared at her, the strode over to where I sat.

"Ha! You got hit!" I laughed, poking him in the arm. "By your own sister! That's karma!"

"Shut up," He muttered, and I laughed again, bumping him with my arm and turning to watch the game.

Amu, of course, being total queen of dodgeball, was throwing balls with terrifying speed and accuracy. However, she was only of the only girls that did so, as a lot of the others were just dodging the balls and squealing. Nadeshiko, however, was throwing balls almost as well as Amu, and was displaying several moves to dodge the many balls aimed at her that looked like a mix between ninja and gymnastics. Actually, to be honest, it looked kind of like she was a ninja , mysteriously dodging every single ball with amazing stunts. She did a sort of somersaulting flip in mid-air and dodged about fifty balls coming her way.

Tadase got hit by Nadeshiko and came over. "Hey, Nagihiko. You got hit?"

"Yeah," Nagi answered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Nadeshiko hit me.".

"Ah, really?" Tadase smiled. "Hit by your own sister?"

"She's pretty good," Nagihiko admitted. "Although where she got those moves, I can't really say."

"This is fun," Tadase said, panting slightly but looking happy. "And you can't tell who will win, both our teams still have most their players."

Still, while Nadeshiko and Amu were good, they were the only girls on our team who were really playing, and slowly but surely the other girls were taken out. Literally every single one came over and began talking to Nagi and Tadase.

"Hi, Nagihiko-sama!" Saaya Yamabuki shoved me out of the way and sat down next to Nagi, batting her eyelashes and trying to look demure. "You're out, too?"

"Yes," Nagi nodded politely.

"Hey!" I said angrily. "You just shoved me out of the way!"

"Oh. Sorry," She said nastily. "I didn't see you there." She turned back to Nagi with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

"Tadase-sama," Another girl simpered. "How was your break?"

Tadase gave her a glittering smile.(Stupid idiot. I swear, he's the only guy that can flirt with girls and not realize he's doing anything more than being polite.) "Very nice, thank you." He stood. "If it's no bother, I have to get a drink of water."

"I can go with you, Tadase-sama!" A girl cried out.

"Yes, we all can!" "I'm thirsty, too!" "Please, drink from my water bottle!"

Tadase bowed his head. "I don't want to be any trouble."

I ground my teeth together. Man, these girls were seriously starting to annoy me. I took a swig from my own water bottle and caught Nagihiko watching me drink. "Would you like some?" I offered him my bottle.

"Sure, thanks." He took a swig from my bottle and handed it back to me.

"Tadase, want some?" I shook the bottle.

"Really? Thank you." Tadase took the bottle and nodded thankfully in my direction.

I didn't notice that the fan girls were utterly silent until I realized that I had several eyes on me.

"What?" I asked, bemused.

"Her water bottle has touched Nagihiko-sama and Tadase-sama's lips," One muttered.

"I want that water bottle," Another said.

"An indirect kiss."

"A kiss from Nagihiko-sama and Tadase-sama."

"Huh." I looked into the fan girls' faces, and then at my water bottle. Then I grinned.

"Ah, you guys have terrible backwash. How gross." I winked at Nagi and Tadase's confused looks, and opened my water bottle. "I'll have to get more from the fountain." I opened the water bottle and turned, dumping it out on the grass behind me.

Immediately there was a loud chorus of shrieks, and chaos in which I dove out of the way as a mob of fan girls leapt to the grass and began ripping up handfuls.

"Ah..." Nagihiko sweat-dropped, while Tadase just looked confused. "So... isn't dodgeball fun?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." I snickered, and then turned back to the court.

Amu and Nadeshiko had both retreated to the back of the court, dodging balls but not throwing a one.

"Why aren't they fighting back?" I wondered. Then I realized. "Oh..."

As the balls ran out on the other side, the boys had no more balls to throw. With a glint in their eyes and a grin at each other, the two began to throw again hitting player after player on the boys' team, until the last one dropped.

"YES!" The two cried triumphantly, and I leapt over to cheer with them.

"We won! We won!" The three of us danced around in a circle, laughing as the boys stared at us like we were crazy.

Nagihiko and Tadase walked over. "Congratulations," Tadase said politely.

"We won!" Nadeshiko giggled. "And you lost!"

"Ah, but I'm a sore loser," Nagihiko sighed dramatically. So..." He and Tadase both smiled and pulled balls from behind their backs and began pelting us with them.

Amu, of course, shrieked and cowered, completely forgetting she could beat both these boys at dodgeball, even a sneak attack like this, with both hands tied behind her back and her eyes blindfolded.

* * *

"_That's a good idea," Temari nodded approvingly. "Do we have it all figured out?"_

"_Yeah. I'll be with the others to cause a distraction," Rhythm said, motioning to Azumi, Ran, Miki, and Dia._

"_Su will squeeze into the hat-box," Su said demurely, "and pick the same two choices for Rima-tan and Nagi-kun."_

"_Amu and Tadase, too," Miki added._

"_No, no, Amu and Ikuto belong together," Ran protested._

"_What will Pepe-chan do?" Pepe grumbled. Musashi and Kiseki nodded. "Pepe -chan wants to help."_

"_I suppose you can help with the distraction," Temari said doubtfully. "But we don't really need the extra help..."_

_The school bell sounded above their heads. "Ahh! Sixth period is over!" Temari said frantically. "Quick! Get into position!"_

_Su flew into the classroom and hid._

* * *

"That was so funny!" Amu laughed.

"No, it wasn't!" I protested. "Thanks to you, I have melted chocolate all over my clothes!"

"Actually," Amu looked me up and down, "it looks pretty cool on your t-shirt."

"I suppose," I admitted. "But it doesn't excuse you for splattering my t-shirt!"

Nade-chan and Tadase were already sitting down, talking animatedly to each other.

"Hey, guys. What's new?" Amu asked as we sat down.

"Hotori-san thinks Prince is cool." Nadeshiko giggled. "Cool as Justin Beiber, maybe."

"Justin Beiber is not cool!" Tadase protested. "Not as cool as Prince!"

"Are you kidding? Coldplay is way better!" Nade-chan scoffed.

"Coldplay doesn't compare," Tadase insisted.

Nade-chan laughed. "I know. Because Coldplay is way better. And so is Adele, and Florence + the Machine."

"You listen to British music?" I asked her.

Nade-chan nodded. "I like listening to songs in English. It's got a different feel to it."

"Do you like any more local singers?" Amu asked.

"I like Utau," Nade-chan laughed. "As a friend and as a singer. She's really good."

"Settle down, settle down!" Nikaidou-sensei called from the front of the room. "We have important things to discuss!

"As you all know, the year is coming to a close. Soon you will be senior students. As a farewell, it has always been tradition for the new senior students to host an event for the third-years who will be leaving at the end of this month. The school board has asked us to perform a play of our choice dedicated to the seniors and open to all.

Nikaidou-sensei looked at us over his glasses. "Understand?' We all nodded. "Okay! Now, first things first, what play shall we perform?"

"Hamlet!" Someone called.

"That may be a little too bloody," Nikaidou-sensei shook his head. "A play where everyone dies a horrible bloody death is not quite the happy goodbye message."

"High School Musical!" Someone else said.

"... No. Any other suggestions?"

A girl cried, "Romeo and Juliet!"

Nikaidou-sensei winced. "Well... it's not exactly appropriate... But I suppose it's not too gory.. Any more suggestions? No? Then we shall perform Romeo and Juliet. So! Who is willing to be an actor?"

Immediately every single girl except for Amu, Nadeshiko and I raised their hands.

Nikaidou-sensei sighed. "Why don't we make sure we all understand the story and its characters first? The story begins when..."

And I immediately drifted into a daydream, where I watch happily on stage as Romeo and Juliet kiss passionately and then die... and then I turn away, and suddenly I am surrounded by cherry blossoms and ghosts, and scream as a girl in a pink kimono and a white apron radiates pure white energy, ripping through a wall of X-Characters...

BOOM.

A loud crash sounded from outside the classroom, and I was jerked out of my daydream. Nikaidou frowned and stood, calling over his shoulder, "I'll just go see what the commotion is."

A minute later, he returned, rolling his eyes. "Someone felt the apparent need to push a cart full of textbooks down the stairs. Now, where was I?"

* * *

_Su's eyelids drooped slightly, and she yawned, rubbing her eyelids. "So sleepy..."_

_Clutched to her chest were two slips of paper, one that read 'Main Protagonist 1', 'Main Protagonist 2. Su was supposed to give them to Nagi-kun and Rima-tan._

"_...Time to draw! Who's first?"_

"_Ahh!" Su's eyes flew open, and she fumbled with the slips, dropping them. "Oh, no..." She grabbed two and sighed in relief. "Su almost ruined the plan!" _

_She peeked out of the box, and leapt back as Saaya shoved her hand into the box, groping wildly and grabbed 'Stage Tech' and pulled her hand out of the box. She peeked again, this time seeing Nagihiko, and held out the slip. The hand grabbed the paper and withdrew from the box. She tried to see who would draw from the box next, but was caught on the edge of the box, unable to see anything more than a glance of blond hair. Rima!_

_Su struggled as a hand dipped into the box, trying to slide the paper into the hand, and just barely succeeded._

"_Mission accomplished!" Su said happily, and settled in the far corner of the box and began to snore._

* * *

"What'd you get?" I asked Amu.

"Stage Tech." She sighed in relief. "No way would I be able to get up on stage. All those people!"

"Me too!" I gave her a high five. "Acting is terrifying!" I turned to Nagihiko. "What about you?"

He smiled. "Supporting role. Wonder who I'll be? How about you, Nadeshiko? Tadase?"

The two said nothing. I turned to face them and found that both their faces were bright red. "What is it?" I snatched the slips out of their hands and read, "Main Protagonist 1, Main Protagonist 2." I laughed. "Our Romeo and Juliet!"

The two turned to look at each other, and gulped nervously.

"Settle down, settle down," Nikaidou called. "May I have Stage Tech on one side of the room and the actors on the other?"

Nagihiko managed to drag a blushing Tadase and Nadeshiko to the other side of the room, where the rest of the actors were situated.

I turned to Amu, who was trying not to laugh at the pleading expression on Nade-chan's face that clearly said, _dear-God-please-somebody-save-me-now. _

Nikaidou walked over to our group first. "All right, Stage Tech! You gus need to work hard, because you'll be the ones that make sure the play goes smoothly. No technical difficulties, smooth scene-to-scene transitions, good props and costumes, all that biz. Yamabuki-san, you work with costumes. Fuyaki-san, Matsushima-san, Sakamoto-san, you all work with lighting. Miyoshi-san, Tanigawa-san,Terao-san, you work with music. Mashiro-san and Himamori-san... you have lost of friends, yes? You can handle both Advertisement and Sets, hmm? Now, Horiuchi-san, Shigaya-san..."

Amu pursed her lips. "Advertisement and the sets? That shouldn't be too hard, right? Just spread it around the school and put out a bunch of advertisements everywhere, right?"

"But we also have to work with the background, like painting the sets..." I sighed. "That'll take forever..."

"Well, we can try and get our friends to help us with them," Amu said cheerfully. "This'll be fun!"

I thought of how much stress this was going to put on the entire Star Class, going around town to hang up ads, getting permissions and making costumes, creating sets and who knows what else, all before the end of the month...

"You're actually right!" I exclaimed. "This is going to be awesome!"

* * *

"_Su..." Temari said in a frightening tone. "You messed it up?"_

"_I'm sorry!" Su wailed. "I thought I saw Nagi-kun, and it was really Nade-chan, and Rima-tan and Tadase-kun both have the same hair color..."_

_Temari growled in frustration. "All right, all right. But we need a new plan!"_

"_Don't worry! Don't worry!" Ran said brightly. "I have a good plan! Here's how it goes..."_

* * *

"You really think so?" I asked doubtfully. "He might be busy..."

Kusukusu lauhed. "Nagi will help you, I'm sure! Just ask him for help painting sets. It'll give you two loads of time to hang out, and you'll get stuff done."

I nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Kusukusu!"

It was evening now, with the sun already setting in the rosy sky as I crossed the street and made my way home.

Just a year ago, my mother would never have let me walk home alone in the short distance from school to our house. After she and my father had split, the angry creases that seemed permanently etched in her forehead disappeared, and she loosened her suffocating hold on me slightly, even if she still demanded that I let her take me to school on the few occasions where work didn't make it impossible. Her only request now was that I keep a can of pepper spray and a friend with me at all times.

It made me sad to see my parents. Once they had split, both had loosened up a lot, and while they still couldn't be in the same room together, neither had found someone else. I noticed that whenever Dad came up, Mom got this kind of wistful expression on her face, and Dad's eyes were always sad when Mom came up.

"Rima?"

I turned and saw Nade-chan. "Hi!" I said, surprised. "Nade-chan."

"You live around here?" She asked curiously.

"Nah, this is a shortcut I take to my house. It's quicker. But you don't live around here, though. You and Nagi live closer to school, right?"

She nodded and shifted slightly. I realized she had a bag in her hand, which crinkled slightly behind her back. "Just... picking up some stuff," She said lamely, and changed the subject. "You're so short, Rima. How tall are you?"

I stared at her for a second. "About 150 centimeters."

She chuckled. "I'm 175!"

"So you're freakishly tall," I said matter-of-factly. "Normal people are around my height. Like, Yaya's 163, Amu's 165, and Utau's 168. Well, okay, so Amu and Utau are tall. But that's weird. They're taller than a couple guys in our class, actually."

"True," She admitted. "But Hotori-san's my height exactly, and Kairi-kun's probably only like five centimeters shorter."

"So Kairi's average," Rima insisted. "And Tadase's unnaturally tall."

"Both Kukai and Tsukiyomi are both almost six feet."

"You people are freaks of nature," I said pointedly.

"There are lots of people who are around that tall!"

"Yeah. Lots of freaks."

* * *

"Riri-chi!" My mother flew to my side as I walked through and hugged me tight. "Oh, thank goodness you're home! I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Mom." I hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. "Talking with a friend."

I plopped down on my bed, staring at my faded orange walls, and wondering as the smell of dinner wafted up the stairs and the sky slowly darkened. Though I didn't know it, and would probably live my whole live without the knowledge, Nadeshiko was clutching an old sweater, breathing in a fading scent of oranges as tears dripped silently from her eyes.

* * *

_You sit up, gasping, feeling tears running down your face. Everything that happened, the blinding pain of the demon's acidic blood, the terror as you watched Kiyoko's own father, black-eyed and robotic, try to slit her throat._

_Tsukasa shifts and wakes, rubbing his eyes sleepily.. "Another nightmare?" You nod. "Come here." _

_It's been ten long years since the monster disappeared. The nightmares have faded, coming back once in a long while, but you're used to it. It's safe now, there isn't anything more to worry about. No more staying up alone in your bed, backed up in a tiny corner with the windows drawn to let some form of light in, fearing that that thing will attack you again. Unable to trust anyone outside the Guardians, because they could be Possessed. It is safe once more._

_For now._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	11. Yes, You ARE That Transparent!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Hannah Montana, Justin Beiber, or the Silence of the Lambs.**

* * *

**Tadase**

"...It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," I finished, staring into Fujisaki-san's eyes with a smile on my face. She stared back at me with a slight tinge of pink in her cheeks, large brown eyes glowing with embarrassment.

"All right, let's stop there," Nikaidou-sensei said, watching the two of us with a frown. "We'll pick this up tomorrow seventh period. Mercutio!"

Nagihiko stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"

"Help Romeo and Juliet, would you?"

"Yes, sir." Nagihiko nodded. When Nikaidou turned away, he sighed. "Is it just me, or is Nikaidou acting a little too serious about the performance?"

Fujisaki-san shrugged. "Well, we do only have a few weeks left until the play. I suppose he's worried." She blushed. "I'm not the best actor."

"Neither am I." I smiled sheepishly at her. "I don't understand half the words I've memorized."

"I know, right?" She laughed. "And to be honest, it's so weird trying to act all mushy. I'm just not good at that sort of thing."

"Me either," I admitted. "I guess being romantic like Romeo isn't in my character."

"Same for me," Fujisaki-san agreed. "Except, you know, Juliet instead of Romeo."

"So should we set up another practice session sometime soon?" I asked her.

"We should be good on Sunday," She answered. "I don't think we have anything planned."

"Around ten, would you say?"

"Sounds good. If I can wake up early enough."

I chuckled. "Late riser, huh?"

"I'm a night owl." She shrugged.

"Early bird gets the worm," I smiled.

"And late bird gets to sleep in," She replied.

The last bell of the day sounded, and we all stood, grabbing our bags to leave.

Amu and Rima came up to me, looking hopeful as they approached. "So, Tadase," Amu said, "Are you free this Sunday?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said apologetically. "I'm practicing with Fujisaki-san."

"Again?" Rima huffed. "When are you going to help us? We still have to get advertisements hung up in a couple places around town, and some of our scenes aren't finished."

"At least you don't have to act like you love this guy in front of about a billion people." Fujisaki-san poked me in the shoulder.

"Ouch," I said politely. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"I've always wanted to be able to do that," I smiled.

Nagihiko commented, "Rima hates when I do that." He looked at Rima and purposely raised an eyebrow, grinning at her. She blushed and whacked his arm.

Stop that," She growled.

"But Rima," Nagihiko pretended to sound wounded, "I was only playing."

The two began to bicker and fight. Amu giggled and turned to Fujisaki-san and I. "See you guys later!" I watched her as she left, Nagihiko and Rima in tow.

Fujisaki-san stopped. "Oh, crap, I forgot!" She raced out the door, calling "See you later, Hotori-kun!" Over her shoulder, violet hair flying behind her.

She had called me Hotori-kun for the first time.

Something fell out of her bag and landed on the floor, skidding across the linoleum with a clicking sound. I bent to pick it up. It was a long red ribbon, with two purple plastic sakura blossoms dangling at the ends. A memory stirred, and an image of Nagihiko pretending to be Nadeshiko flashed in my mind, wearing a Guardian cape over his female uniform and a ribbon like this in his hair.

I called, "Fujisaki-san, your... hair ribbon." I trailed off. She had left.

I had to find her and return this. Maybe she'd be very worried when she realized it was missing. But where had she gone?

I raced down the hall and the stairs, trying to find her, and ran outside. "Fujisaki-san!" I called, looking around in the afternoon air. Nothing, only the chatter of other students as they left to go home.

I sighed. I'd have to return it to her tomorrow. I turned to walk back inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw purple flash through the trees. Curious, I stepped into the forest, walking in the direction of the flash of violet.

Peeking through the trees, I saw a cluster of girls surrounding Fujisaki-san.

"...So have you decided who you're going to be with?" The middle girl asked.

"Yes," Fujisaki said calmly. "My friends."

The girl scowled. "I hope when you say friends, you mean us."

"Well, no." Fujisaki-san inclined her head. "I don't appreciate the way you talk about others," She said pleasantly, "especially my friends. As in, Amu Hinamori, or Rima Mashiro, Yaya Yuiki... I'm sure you understand, Saaya."

Saaya took a step forward. "Those girls? You mean, the losers that backstab you? Oh, yes," She said, seeing the confused expression on Fujisaki-san's face, "They say horrible things about you. Like that you're a slut, and a bitch."

Fujisaki-san raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Because I always thought that you were the one who said things like that."

"What—I don't—" Saaya spluttered.

"I know you spread nasty things about me behind my back. I can see that you're jealous of me, too. Like how I'm friends with Tadase Hotori, or Kukai Souma. Even my brother." Fujisaki-san frowned. "I've been meeting with you and your friends in secret for weeks now, but I know you don't like me. Why do you even want to be my friend?"

Saaya growled, and got in Fujisaki-san's face. "You've made an enemy today, Fujisaki," She snarled. "You better watch your back."

Fujisaki-san smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you think of me as an enemy. But I think that I was your enemy the moment you met me, not starting today. Maybe, if you weren't intent on hurting me, we wouldn't be like this."

The girl turned her back and stomped away, her group of friends following behind her, leaving Fujisaki-san shaking her head.

"Hotori-kun, I know you're hiding behind that tree."

I jumped, and walked out from behind it, rubbing the back of my head. "I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

She laughed. "It's okay."

"Are you okay?" I questioned. "You looked like you handled them pretty well, but..."

"Oh, yeah." She sighed. "But I wish she didn't think of me as an enemy."

I didn't know what to say, so I nodded. Then I remembered. "Ah!" I held out the ribbon. "You dropped this."

She gasped. "I dropped it? Oh, thank goodness you picked it up." She took it from me and tied her hair up in a ponytail. "Thank you so much," She said gratefully. "I've had this since I was a baby, and if I'd lost it..."

"You're welcome." I smiled. "I'm glad I could be of such help."

She smiled back. "I can't imagine wearing my hair down," She admitted. "Not just because I always wear it up, but then I'd look just like Nagi-kun."

"And then it'd be pretty much impossible to tell you apart."

A spark flashed through her deep brown eyes. "You think so?"

I stared at her face. She really did look so much like Nagihiko. Granted, her eyelashes were just a little longer, her hair just a little thicker, her eyes just a little bigger, but other than that she looked exactly like Nagihiko. "Yeah, you guys look so much alike."

She grinned mischievously, her nose crinkling, white teeth showing. "Interesting."

"Except for your smile," I noticed. "You crinkle your nose and squint your eyes when you smile."

She giggled. "I gotta get going. See you tomorrow, Hotori-kun!"

"Bye... Fujisaki-san."

* * *

"_And you're sure this will work?" Rhythm asked Ran. "I mean, if it goes wrong..."_

_Ran laughed. "Of course, it'll be fine! Just wait for my signal, and then release the bucket."_

_Su flew up to the two. "Sensei is coming! Hurry, hurry!"_

_Temari came rushing over a second later, panting. "The two are in place. Go!" She roared._

"_Right!" Rhythm sped over the grounds, over to Greenhouse One, where Rima and Nagihiko stood, looking confused and slightly annoyed._

"_Rhythm! What are we doing here, again?"_

"_Something very important!" the little shugo chara panted. "Let's go inside!"_

_Nagihiko looked at him strangely. "Why?"_

"_I want to pick flowers for Miki," Rhythm lied. "This is the right greenhouse, I think."_

"_Miki?" Rima asked incredulously. "Aren't you dating KusuKusu?"_

_The said guardian character popped up from Rima's bag. "Oh, it wasn't working out," KusuKusu said dismissively. "So I dumped him."_

"_...I don't know what to say," Nagihiko shook his head._

"_So let's go!" Rhythm insisted, trying to open the door even though the doorknob was larger than he._

"_All right, all right." Nagihiko opened the door and stepped inside, closing after the four entered. "Which flowers?"_

"_Um..." Rhythm paused and pretended to think, glancing at KusuKusu, who nodded and grabbed a rope. Unnoticed by the other two, a bucket filled with water hung above the door, connected to a rope that KusuKusu held.._

"_Hello? Is someone in there?" The voice of someone familiar muffled through the door. The knob turned, and the door opened..._

_SPLASH! The bucket fell, spilling a gallon of icy water onto Nikaidou-sensei's head._

"_Argh-glub!" The now-soaking teacher wrenched to bucket off his head and gasped for air, disoriented, at the two students, who were staring in horror at their teacher._

* * *

"Fujisaki-san!" I shouted, jogging over to where she stood with Azumi, smiling at me. "Sorry I'm late," I panted.

"Don't worry," Fujisaki-san laughed. "I woke up late, actually, and only got here like a minute ago, so..." She brushed her bangs off to the side and shifted a bag in her grip.

"What's in the bag?" I asked curiously.

"Asked that twice in two days," She muttered.

"Hmm?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Nothing. These are our costumes for the play." She made a face. "Had a look at both of them. Never liked puffy things." She gave me a sympathetic look. "Hope you like them."

I blushed, remembering my chara-nari Platinum Royale. "Um... not particularly, no."

"Come now, Tadase," Kiseki scolded. "My king looks wonderful in anything," He said proudly to Azumi, who rolled her eyes.

"Well, we better get going." The two of us began walking towards the school.

"Ah, a day off and we're still going to school," Fujisaki-san sighed. "But at least it's for a good cause."

"Yeah. The play's going pretty well, don't you think?" I asked.

"Oh, sure. I mean, Rima-chan says that all that's left is advertising a little around the shops, and finishing up a couple sets." She looked at me. "And we've all got our lines memorized. Can you believe it's only been a few weeks?"

The school rose slowly into view, and I watched as it ascended the morning horizon. "I'm horrible in front of crowds, though." I looked down at my toes. "I've gotten better than I used to be, but I'm worried I'll freak out on stage and ruin the performance."

"I know. I'm bad at crowds, too. I think we'll be all right, but the whole acting thing... It's fun and all, and I try to do my best, but is it enough?"

"Of course!" Kiseki said imperiously.

"I know how you feel." We pushed through the school gates and into the campus. "But I think that if you really feel passionate about something, if you really work hard, you can still shine."

She turned to me and smiled. "That's pretty wise, Hotori-kun."

"Is it?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I suppose so," I said modestly. "Actually, Amu said that."

Fujisaki-san's brow furrowed, like she was thinking. "Hotori-kun... are you in love with Amu-chan?"

I choked, stumbling. "W-what?"

"...Well, actually, it's kind of obvious... I mean, you're always staring at her, and you get this kind of sad, wistful expression on your face when she's around..."

"Does she know?" I asked in a defeated voice.

"Well, no. I mean, I don't think so. But is it true?"

I sighed. "Yes. But it's mixed up with something that happened a long time ago, with the Easter Corporation."

"Easter?' She seemed interested. "That big company?"

" It's actually kind of a long story."

"I've got time." She looked expectantly at me as we moved past the primary-early secondary building.

'Well... I guess it all started when we were kids. Like, eleven or twelve. Your brother, Yaya, Kukai and I were in this group called the Guardians. We were pretty much a student council, except we all had guardian characters. There were five seats, the King's Chair, the Queen's Chair, the Ace's chair, the Jack's chair, and the Joker. I held the King's Chair, Nagihiko held the Queen's, Yaya was the Ace, and Kukai was the Jack. Our big job, though, at the time, was searching for the Embryo, which is a magical egg that grants wishes. And a little while after Amu transferred, she got guardian characters, or Ran, Miki, and Su."

"What about Dia?"

"She comes up later. Anyways, we had a prophecy from the first generation king, with the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key..."

I went on to explain everything that had happened as we entered the high school, walking slowly through the halls and into the huge auditorium, moving into the back behind the scenes.

"...So then Ikuto left to find his father in Europe, and Nagihiko went off to study dance again."

"I see." She studied my expression. "Anything happen after that?"

"Well... not really. I mean, we haven't had trouble for years. Everything's kind of calmed down."

She pursed her lips. "You dated her for a little, too, didn't you?"

"How'd you know?" I looked at her sadly.

"Your expression. Says there's more to the story between you two."

I studied my toes. "I kept trying after that, hoping I still had a chance. I felt like I was really close, too. I asked her out early in the school year during ninth grade, just two years ago. It was so amazing at first, finally feeling like I'd won... But as time went on, I kept noticing how sad she seemed whenever Ikuto was mentioned, how when she got texts from him, she brightened up in a way I could never get her to do... we broke up in November."

"And have you moved on?" I felt her eyes watching me, burning a hole through the side of my head as I avoided her gaze.

"...No," I admitted. "I just can't see any other girl that way." Kiseki tutted me. Trying to change the subject, I asked, "So what about you?"

She seemed to stiffen slightly. "Once," She said shortly.

"Oh." I shut up.

She pulled an orange and black bundle of clothes. "Here."

I took it, wincing slightly. "Orange?"

She smiled slightly. "And you get pantaloons and a doublet. Lucky you."

"That's kind of embarrassing." I let out a nervous laugh. "And this is what I'm wearing for the performance?"

"In front of about a billion people," She looked like she was trying not to laugh herself.

"Wonderful," I said quietly, and she gave me a sympathetic look that wasn't really very sympathetic, turning her back and walking into the nearest dressing room.

Ten minutes later, I was fully dressed in my costume, looking at myself in the mirror in utter horror.

"Oh, dear," I whispered.

The costume manager, Saaya Yamabuki, had apparently decided that an black doublet with rusty orange embroidery would look very nice paired with white pantaloons and a puffy white undershirt complete with a strange hat that looked kind of like a feathered beret.

Feeling extremely embarrassed, I left my designated dressing room and knocked on Fujisaki-san's door. "Fujisaki-san? Are you ready?"

"Ah, hold on a second." There was a clicking noise, and she came out of the dressing room, blushing slightly.

Fujisaki-san wore a long, light purple-colored gown, with thick golden embroidery that lined the square neckline and ran down the front and back. With thin off-white sleeves that flared at her wrists and a tight corset with gold laces, she really did look like Juliet. She wore a plain silver circlet in her long hair.

"You look very nice." I felt my cheeks grow hot.

"Thanks," She cleared her throat. "And you don't look too bad yourself. No ribbons or lace, at least. Can you help me with the zipper? Azumi's not strong enough to pull it up."

"Hey!" The little chara protested. "I'm tiny. So sue me."

"Oh. Of course." She turned, and I slid the zipper up her back, moving her hair out of the way.

"Thanks," She repeated. "Shall we get started?"

"Okay." The two of us walked out onto the empty stage, which was filled with scenes, wooden backgrounds, fake parts of buildings, steps, an orchard, furnished rooms, and the famed balcony. "Let's start from where we left off."

Fujisaki-san nodded, and we drew over to the balcony, climbing up the hidden steps in the back. She paused for a second before saying, "It's just after Tybalt and Mercutio are killed, right?" I nodded. "So..." She cleared her throat, and began.

"Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day;  
It was the nightingale, and not the lark;  
That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear;  
Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree:  
Believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

"It was the lark, the herald of the morn," I replied.

"No nightingale: look, love, what envious streaks  
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east:  
Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day  
Stand tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.  
I must be gone and live, or stay and die."

She shook her head. "Yon light is not day-light I know it, I:  
It is some meteor that the sun exhales,  
To be thee this night a torch-bearer,  
And light on thy way to Mantua:  
Therefore stay yet; thou need'st not to be gone."

I turned to her and placed a hand on her cheek, feeling both awkward and silly as I declared,

"Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death;I am content, so thou wilt have it so.  
I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye,  
'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow;  
Nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat  
The vaulted heaven so high above our heads:  
I have more care to stay than will to go:  
Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so.  
How is't, my soul? Let's talk; it is not the day."

She feigned a gasp, and cried, "It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away!  
It is the lark that sings so out of tune,  
Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.  
Some say the lark makes sweet division;  
This doth not so, for she divideth us:  
Some say the lark and loathed the toad change eyes,  
O, now I would the had changed voices too!  
Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray,  
Hunting the hence with hunt's-up to the day,  
O, now be gone; more light and light it grows."

"More light and light; more dark and dark our woes!" I said dramatically.

She giggled and looked at the script. "Okay, so now the nurse comes in. She says, 'Madam!' and I reply, 'Nurse?'"

I switched parts, pretending to be the nurse. "Your lady mother is coming to your chamber: The day is broke; be wary, look about."

"Then window, let day in, and let life out." She hesitated.

"Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I'll descend." Avoiding her gaze, I gave her a quick peck on the cheek, just barely brushing her skin with my lips, and leaned hurriedly back, blushing.

"You know, you're going to have to kiss her on the lips like you mean it when we actually do the performance," A voice said, sounding slightly amused.

The two of us jumped. "Nagi-kun!" Fujisaki-san exclaimed, glaring at her twin as he stepped forward, grinning.

"Nice dress, Nade-chan," He commented, and smirked at me. "Nice pantaloons, Tadase."

"I—I have to wear these!" I protested. "It's my costume!"

He chuckled, and then sobered. "But I am right, you know. We can't have a Romeo and Juliet that only kiss each other on the cheek. I don't like it, but that's how it goes."

"Aren't you supposed to be pruning flowers or something with Rima-chan?" Fujisaki-san demanded.

Rima came up behind him. "We're taking a break."

"Sure," Fujisaki-san said sarcastically. "A break."

"It's true!" Nagihiko protested. "We only came in here because it's so hot outside, and we were going to get a drink."

"But he's right," Rima nodded, staring a hole through me. "Romeo and Juliet has more passion. That kiss wasn't passionate."

"Ah, so you agree with me for once?" Nagihiko smiled down at Rima.

"Because you were right, for once," She shot back.

The two began bickering again. Fujisaki-san and I looked at each other and smiled.

"I'm not the only one who thinks that these two are into each other, right?" I asked.

"Hotori-kun, everyone knows these two like each other except for these two," She replied, glancing at them.

I smiled. "Rima, Nagihiko, I've finally achieved world domination."

Neither answered. Fujisaki-san giggled. " It's so hot in here. I think I'll take off all my clothes and run around naked."

Still no answer. "Oh, no, I'm being brutally murdered by your twin!" I said loudly.

"He is." Nadeshiko smiled. "I'm going to cook him up for dinner with fava beans and some nice Chianti."

"I'm pregnant with Justin Beiber's child." I said.

"Sometimes I like to stick my hands in my armpits and then smell them."

"I'm secretly Hannah Montana."

"Toothpaste is my favorite snack."

"I ate lint off the floor."

"The voices in my head are offering me candy if I let them out."

"They're not paying us any attention," I observed with a smile.

Nagihiko and Rima started and turned to look at us. "Did you guys say something?" Rima asked.

"No, no, nothing at all," Fujisaki-san held in a giggle.

"Well, I need a drink of water," Rima said, giving Nagihiko a dirty look and headed off to the fountain. Nagihiko followed her, grinning.

"And.. they're gone." Fujisaki-san shook her head. "Those two, huh?"

"And to think if all that were true, I'd be a dead, pregnant, pop-star dictator, and you'd be blind in one eye and preparing to stuff me in an oven to eat me."

"Right?" She laughed. "But they're right," She said seriously, turning pink.

" Yeah..." I looked over at her, meeting her huge brown eyes with my own burgundy ones. Her eyes really were huge...

"Nade-chan! Tadase! We're leaving!" Rima called. I jumped.

I blinked, realizing my face was an inch from Fujisaki-san's. A look of realization crossed her eyes, and she leaned back, face scarlet as she called, "See you later, you two!"

All I could think was, _what the heck just happened?_

There was an awkward pause as Rima and Nagihiko left. I cleared my throat. "Should we continue?"

"Oh. Right." The blush faded from her cheeks as she frowned at me. It had become extremely hot in the theatre, as she was burning a hole in the side of my head with her sharp gaze.

"Hotori-kun, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I said warily.

"It's really important... and please don't get offended , if I'm wrong..."

My heart squeezed in m chest as the air pressed in around me. "Yes?"

"Hotori-kun... are you bisexual?"

I looked at her incredulously. "Really?" I asked weakly. I dropped my head into my hands and peeked through my fingers at her.

"Am I really that transparent?"

She looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "Does anyone know?"

"Of course not," I snapped. "Why would I tell anyone?"

"Because they need to know," She said softly.

"Hell. No." I growled.

Fujisaki-san frowned. "It's not a big deal. It's just another part of you."

"You don't understand," I said angrily. "It's a huge deal, at least to me! Don't you realize? So much of human society judges people like me, whether they realize it or not. If you could've seen yourself right there..." I pointed an accusing finger at her. "You had pity in your eyes. Like my sexuality's a handicap. Don't even try to deny it. And others?" I laughed sourly. "I've heard the comments, the cruel words about people like me. They think that I'm disgusting for liking both girls and guys. If I did come out, they'd be nice, sure, but then there are the stereotypes. People will look at me and that's all they'll see. People will look at me and think, what a pervert, because they think I hit on everything in sight. People will look at me, and they won't see who I really am. Once people find out, these stereotypes will pop into their heads. I'll be an outcast. Maybe not obviously, but I'll never have another relationship without my sexuality affecting people's opinions."

"That's not true," She said quietly. "I see you. Your friends see you, too. We don't care."

"Oh, really?" I gave a harsh laugh. "And if I tell them, what will they say? Oh, that's right. That it's no. Big. Deal."

"Because it's not!" She retorted. "Stop looking at the bad side and look at the good side! You don't have to hide anymore! So what if people judge you? At least you know who's really there for you! Like your friends!"

"If it's not a big deal, then why were you acting like I'd be offended if you'd been wrong?" She was silent. "Exactly. You know that it could've offended me if you were wrong. Doesn't that prove that being LGBT is considered offensive? Sinful? Wrong?"

"Did you expect me to know whether or not you'd be offended?"

"It doesn't matter! The point is that you thought LGBT accusations are offensive!"

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't get you. You've got good friends that care about you who need to know this."

"If it's not important, then why is it a big deal that I confess?"

"I—" She stopped. "Because it just is."

"No, it's important because being LGBT makes a difference, whether you care or not. It distinguishes you from others. That's why coming out is so important."

"No, it's because no one wants you to hide who you are!"

"If that were true, then there wouldn't be homophobes, now would there?"

"No, you're wrong. Homophobes are just people that can't accept different ways of life."

"Different, huh? So the normal way is to be straight?"

"No, people are just more used to it. Humans think being straight is more common, that's all. Like statistics. And there are people that are afraid of the other percentages." She glared at me. "Get it through your skull. Your friends like you whether you're straight or LGBT. I like you either way. Don't you realize that it matters because you're hiding things from people who will support you? That's why coming out is important.** Be who you are and say what you feel. Those that—"**

**"—Mind, don't matter, and those that matter, don't mind."** I said grumpily. "I get it."

"Good." Her eyes were piercing. "You realize that I'm behind you on this, right? But I'm only going to support you if you promise that at some point, you have to tell everyone else."

"Whatever." I looked away.

"Oh, no way." She grabbed me by the shoulders. "Promise me."

"Fine! Okay!" I shouted. "I'll tell them! Just... not now. I don't..."

"You need time. I understand." She released me. "Then I'll help you get the time you need."

I took in a deep, shuddering breath. "Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

**Hi again! So yeah, I made Tadase bisexual. It fits into the story, I promise, it's not just random! And yes, I totally support the entire gay community, this was not meant to be offensive in any way.**

**Read and Review!**


	12. Rima Murders Some Weeds!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore! or Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare!**

* * *

**Nagihiko**

"God, it's so hot out here!" Rima wiped the sweat off her brow. "And they didn't even provide gloves," She grumbled.

"You're not even working!" I argued. "You're just sitting in the shade watching me work!"

"I don't want to get my nails dirty."

"So you're going to make me do all the work?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Stop that!" She snapped, and I chuckled.

It really was hot outside, even though it was only around ten thirty. I'd walked here in the heat, having thrown on black basketball shorts and a gym t-shirt, swiping a pair of gardening gloves from the tool shed when no one was looking. Rima, however, had shown up wearing light denim Capri pants and a floaty white blouse with a black headband in her hair as always.

It wasn't too bad, though. Yes, some of the weeds had tiny thorns and spikes, but I had gardening gloves. Plus, it was nice spending time with Rima.

"Aren't you going to help me?' I asked her.

She thought for a second. "Maybe."

"I'm going to take that as a no." I rolled my eyes. "This is supposed to be a punishment, you know."

"It is a punishment!" She shot at me. "Because I have to be with you."

"And once again, mean old Rima picks on poor Nagihiko," I sighed melodramatically.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Get over it. And besides, you and I both know we weren't the ones that dropped that bucket of ice water on Nikaidou's head."

"Well, yeah, but then who? Our shugo charas?"

She huffed. "Yeah, right. For one, why would they do that? And two, do you really think our guardian characters would plan to dump a bucket of water on a teacher's head?"

"I see your point," I admitted.

A trilling ring tone rang out through the silence. Rima pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Hey, Amu. What's up? Really?" She sighed in relief. " Nagi's here with me. I'm putting you on speakerphone."

"Hey, Amu!" I said cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Good!" Amu's voice was bright and bubbly. "Yaya and I finished passing out most of our flyers. All that's left are the ones we're using to hang up in stores."

"We've only got half a box left!" Yaya's voice came through the phone sounding excited. "Hello, Yaya! So you're almost finished? That's good. Are you going to come back and help us?" I glanced at Rima. "Well, me?"

Amu laughed. "Rima's not helping?"

"Not at all."

"I'm still here!" Rima said pointedly.

"Anyways" Amu said, "Yaya said she can do the rest, so I'm heading over to help you guys."

"Yaya? All by yourself?" I frowned. "Are you sure you'll be safe?"

"Right!" Amu gasped. "That's true..."

Rima and I met eyes and grinned. "Why don't you call Kairi? He can help her."

There was a choking sound in the background, which I assumed meant Yaya was freaking out at the moment. "That's a great idea!" Amu said excitedly. "That's okay, right, Yaya?"

"N—No—"

"It'll be fine," Rima said quickly. "See you soon."

"Bye!"

Rima hung up. We took one look at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Rima gave a huge yawn. "I'm thirsty. Let's get a drink."

"Then let's go inside."

"What? But the school's closed."

"There's got to be at least one door open. There are a bunch of after-school activities. We'll find one. C'mon." I stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."

"Oh, yeah!" Rima smacked her forehead. "The play! The door to the auditorium must be open! Let's go!" She dragged me across campus to the high school side of campus and to the large auditorium building, pulling me through a back door.

"...Your lady mother is coming to your chamber: The day is broke; be wary, look about."

"It's Nade-chan and Tadase!" Rima whispered.

The two of us peeked out from behind the red curtains, hiding in the shadows as Nadeshiko and Tadase, standing atop a balcony in Capulet's orchard, spoke their lines well but failed to convey that they were madly in love with each other.

"So that's what you'd look like in a dress," Rima mused. "Not bad."

I didn't really know how to answer that. Nadeshiko did look good in violet, white and gold with braided hair, but seeing myself in a dress after years of cross dressing wasn't exactly the top of my list of things to see.

"At least I'm not wearing puffy pants."

Rima giggled. "He looks so gay."

I chuckled. "Well, maybe. But it could be worse. Remember Platinum Royale?"

"Then window, let day in, and let life out."

"Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I'll descend." The both of them turned pink, and Tadase gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You know, you're going to have to kiss her on the lips like you mean it when we actually do the performance," I spoke, stepping out from behind the curtains.

The two jumped. "Nagi-kun!" Nadeshiko exclaimed, glaring at me.

"Nice dress, Nade-chan," I motioned towards her dress, and turned to Tadase, grinning. "Nice pantaloons, Tadase."

He blushed and sputtered, "I—I have to wear these! It's my costume!"

I chuckled, and then got serious. "But I am right, you know. We can't have a Romeo and Juliet that only kiss each other on the cheek. I don't like it, but that's how it goes."

"Aren't you supposed to be pruning flowers or something with Rima-chan?" Nadeshiko demanded.

Rima came up behind me. "We're taking a break."

"Sure," Nadeshiko gave Rima a look. "A break."

"It's true," I said, shrugging. "We only came in here because it's so hot outside, and we were going to get a drink."

"But he's right," Rima nodded, giving Tadase a pointed look. "Romeo and Juliet has more passion. That kiss wasn't passionate."

"Ah, so you agree with me for once?" I smiled at Rima, raising an eyebrow.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Because you were right, for once."

"I'm always right." I winked at her.

"You're so infuriating!"

'Why, thank you. I try my best."

"Augh! Now you sound like Ikuto!"

"Geez, Rima, no need to be so harsh." I pouted.

"I take that back. You're worse."

"Compared to Ikuto? I think you're over-exaggerating."

"Oh, shut up."

"Someone's in a bad mood."

"Shut it, cross dresser."

"Really? You went there?"

"What? You can't deal with it? It's the truth."

"True. But I think you're just jealous that I look better pretending to be a girl than you do."

"What—I'm an actual girl, stupid!"

And I'm a better one, yes?"

"God, you're so annoying!"

"Jealous..."

"I hate you."

"Love you too, Rima."

"...not paying us any attention."

Rima and I turned to look at the two. "Did you guys say something?" Rima asked.

"No, no, nothing at all," Nadeshiko was smiling for some reason.

"Well, I need a drink of water," Rima said, giving me a dirty look and heading down the stage steps off to the side. I followed her, grinning.

The door was, thankfully, unlocked, and the two of us stepped into the echoing hallway that was considered a storage room/added backstage where only that cast and crew were allowed to enter.

I reached the nearest water fountain and bent to drink, but Rima tapped me on the shoulder. "Ladies first," She said haughtily, and stepped in front of me to sip delicately from the fountain.

I scoffed. "What lady?"

"Me, of course," Rima looked down her nose at me. Which was actually pretty funny, because she had to look so far up that it didn't look right.

"Ladies aren't rude like you. You broke about a dozen rules just now."

"Did I forget to stick up my pinkie while I drank from the fountain? You would know, wouldn't you?"

"You're really never going to let that go, are you?"

"Of course not."

"So you're prejudiced against cross dressers?"

"No, just really tall ones with long purple hair named Nagihiko Fujisaki."

"Oh, really? Then explain to me why, if you have a problem with me cross-dressing, you're so nice to me when I'm 'Nadeshiko'."

"Duh, stupid. Both your alter-ego and your twin are cuter and nicer."

"Whether that's true or not, I still make a better lady than you."

"Whatever."

The two of us strode back into the auditorium, glaring at each other. I broke away, and saw Nadeshiko and Tadase leaning towards each other slowly, their faces an inch from each other.

"Nade-chan! Tadase! We're leaving!" Rima called. The two jumped and pink flooded their cheeks. I guessed they had been trying to kiss without blushing and seem like they were madly in love with each other. Apparently the only way it would work was if no one else was in the room. Wonderful.

The sun had risen just a little higher in the sky. Checking my clock, I saw it was almost eleven. "It's lunchtime."

"Oh, good. Did you bring food?' Rima asked.

"A sack lunch... why?" I narrowed my eyes. "Are you going to steal my lunch?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I packed a lunch, too, but if yours looks better..."

"Surprise, surprise," I sighed.

Walking back to our spot, where my gloves and two bags, one black trash bag filled with weeds and a small, insulated lunch pack laid on the grass in wait.

"So, what'd you bring?" Rima asked, producing a small paper bag and pulling out a cute little bento box.

I opened my own and lifted the lid of my own bento box. "Some rice, inari sushi, an onigiri, some day-old vegetable tempura, and some pickled ginger."

"Nice. I have..." She opened her pack, "beef curry and rice, two korroke, one mochi-manju, and last night's leftover chicken katsu."

"That sounds good." I peeked at her lunch. "Is it all homemade?"

"Yep. The mochi-manju has azuki an."

"Your mom can make all that?" I was impressed.

"From scratch," Rima said proudly. I watched as her face fell slightly. "She got promoted, and she gets a little more time of work, so she uses it to make home-cooked meals." I heard her say softly, "She still can't stop making food for three."

I hesitated for a second, not sure if she would reject me, and then patted her arm. "I'm sorry."

Rima shifted away slightly when I touched her. "It's not your fault." She said shortly, producing a pair of hashi and attacking her chicken katsu.

I watched her, and picked up my fist-sized onigiri and took a bite. "Auntie usually makes dinner, since my parents are always busy, but occasionally my mom helps in the kitchen, like on holidays."

Rima shrugged, the look on her face conveying the message that I should change the subject.

"So when's Amu coming?" I asked.

She checked her watch, mouth full of katsu. "It's just past eleven. She won't be here until maybe noon or so. I would guess she's getting lunch."

I chewed slowly, finishing off the rest of my onigiri and picked up a piece of inari sushi with my hashi. "Do you think we'll get done with weeding the flower beds? I mean, there are a lot of them at Seiyo."

"Probably. I mean, it's not like no one takes care of them, we're just giving the gardeners an off day."

I gazed at the long flower beds that lined the gates and the walkway to the school entrance. There had to be at least twenty, and we'd—well, I'd—only gotten through four. "I don't think it'll take too long to finish this front area, right?"

* * *

_Ran was zooming over the treetops at top speed, searching for the small building whe__re Ikuto would be a student. "It's here somewhere, I know it!" She said to herself. "I have to get back soon..." She knew she only had a short time. After convincing Amu to get the unhealthiest lunch at a cafe on the university campus (which went against all Ran's health beliefs), Amu had run into the bathroom an hour later cursing her stupidity. At most, Ran had about fifteen minutes to find Ikuto and begin Phase Four of Operation Get Ikuto On A Date With Amu By Getting Them To Eat Lunch Together (all right, so maybe it was kind of a long name) and help get Operation Amuto on track._

_Flying lower as the sound of a bell began to ring, she spotted the back of someone extremely tall with ruffled midnight hair and a violin case strung over his shoulder walking away. He was surrounded by a crowd of squealing, madly giggling girls._

"_Ikuto!" Ran shouted, and flew closer._

_There he was, looking extremely bored with his hands casually stuffed in the pockets of his dark jeans. Most of the girls were simpering and chattering endlessly to him, though it was obvious he wasn't really listening._

"_Ikuto!" Ran cried, flying in front of his face._

"_Go away," Ikuto said, glancing in Ran's direction._

"_But, Ikuto!" One of the girls whined. "We want to hang out with you! I'm having a party tomorrow night, you should come. It'll be fun." She ran a finger down his arm._

"_Amu's here," Ran said quickly._

"_Really? Where?" That got his attention. Ran swore she could see cat ears perking up in interest._

_The girl, unable to see Ran, laughed shrilly. "At my dorm, silly! Everyone's going to be there. But," She batted her eyelashes and bit her lower lip, trying to look provocative, "If you want, it could just be us two."_

"_She's eating at the Drunken Samurai Cafe on the edge of campus. She's going to visit you when she's done eating lunch."_

"_Why wait?" Ikuto smirked, a rather evil glint in his eye. "I'll go now."_

"_Seriously?' The girl squealed. "Omigosh! Totally!" She grabbed his arm possessively._

_Ikuto looked at the girl, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you touching me? Please stop."_

"_But... Ikuto," She pouted._

"_I'm sorry if I gave you any impression that I was interested in a relationship," Ikuto said firmly, a hint of impatience in his tone. "But I have to go. I apologize."_

_The girl pouted for a second, then gazed at him. "But, you're still coming to my party, right?"_

"_Party?" Ikuto shrugged, and then turned away. "As if," He said to himself, jogging away without a single glance backwards to the disappointed gaggle of girls._

* * *

I yanked up another weed and stuffed it in the overflowing trash bag, wiping the sweat from my brow. Now, around three o'clock, the sun was exuding thick heat, pulling up weeds had become a lot harder than just a little while ago. Rima was on her hands and knees a little ways away, yanking up weed after weed with a look of determination in her eyes. After finishing up with both our meals (She'd convinced me to give her the rest of the vegetable tempura), she'd watched for about fifteen minutes before declaring she was bored and crawled right beside me, dragging each weed up from the ground and stuffing it into the black trash bag.

Amu had finally shown up, greeting us with one hand and fending off Ikuto's perverseness with the other. She and her guardian characters had immediately set to work, while Ikuto watched and pulled up one or two weeds. Temari, of course, was enraged that weeds dare enter the flower beds, so with rolled-back kimono sleeves and hiked-up skirts, she ferociously attacked the weeds with her naginata, while Rhythm was forced to dig up the roots of the weeds that she'd shredded. Kusukusu was rolling around in the dirt and making dirt angels while distracting the others by throwing dirtballs at them.

I scanned around me for any last weeds, and mopped my brow again. Rima came up to me, half-hidden behind an armful of weeds bleeding plant juice. It looked like she had taken Freddy Krueger's knife hands and viciously murdered the plants before pulling them out of the ground.

"I'm done," She panted, her cheeks flushed, and shoved her victims into the bag. "Thank goodness."

Amu pranced over with her arms full of weeds, having chara-changed with Su, and giggled girlishly. "All done!" She said in a sing-song voice, pirouetting as she set the weeds into the bag.

Ikuto followed up behind her. "Here," He tossed a handful of green into the bag.

The green shamrock barrette holding Amu's bangs back from her face popped back into its usual X. She immediately turned and growled, "Su..."

The little chara giggled. "Hai, Amu?"

As Amu snatched her third-born shugo chara and attempted to strangle her, the other three trying to pry her hands off her third would-be-self, I turned to the others. "Tadase and Nade-chan are inside the auditorium, practicing for next week's play," I said. "Since we're done, maybe we should go and help them."

'What's the play?" Ikuto asked.

"Romeo and Juliet. Tadase's Romeo and Nade-chan's Juliet."

He smiled mischievously. "I've gotta see this."

Amu released Su from her death-grip and smiled pleasantly. "Sure! They might need help."

The four of us and our guardian characters made our way over to the auditorium and entered. "Hello?" Amu called. "Tadase? Nade-chan? Are you there?"

"We're here!" Nade-chan's voice.

Making our way to the stage, we found Tadase collapsed spread-eagled on the ground, a bottle of poison in his hands. Nade-chan was holding a knife to her chest, ready to stab herself. She smiled at us. "Hey, guys."

"Hello," Tadase raised his head off the ground and smiled at us, and then pretended to be dead again.

"An interesting position to find you guys," Ikuto noted.

"Shut it, Tsukiyomi." My sister gave him a look. "Our class is performing Romeo and Juliet, this is one of the scenes."

"Shakespearean plays, always a favorite," Ikuto said sarcastically. "Because watching everyone die is the perfect way to end a play."

"Not everyone dies in his plays," Amu said fairly. "Like no one dies in The Taming of the Shrew."

"But it's still a really sexist play," Ikuto points out.

"Anyways," I interrupt, "Are you guys almost done?"

"Yeah. I just have to stab myself in the chest." Nade-chan promptly shoved the knife into her chest dramatically and crumpled in a heap into Tadase's arms.

"And she says it so matter-of-factly," Rima watched in bemusement as 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' pretended to be dead for a couple of seconds and then got to their feet.

"No more speaking lines from there, right? Just playing dead?" Nade-chan asked Tadase.

"I think so." The two kept eye contact, as if conveying some message. When they looked to us, Tadase looked faintly embarrassed and Nade-chan was pursing her lips.

"So are you guys done?" Amu cocked her head to the side. "Need any help?"

"Not really," Nade-chan replied. "So what's up?"

"Just coming to see if you guys needed anything. You guys look really good."

"Thank you, Amu," Tadase bowed his head shyly. "Ouch!"

"What?" Amu asked curiously.

"Nothing," Nade-chan and Tadase said together, glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Well, they still need to work on making it look like they're madly in love with each other," I said.

Rima nodded. "Like, their kissing has no lustful passion, and they don't gaze at each other with utter longing and infatuation."

Ikuto teased, "Yeah, Little King, work on your kissing skills! Hey!"

Amu elbowed him. "Be nice," She scolded. "It's hard to pretend you're in love with someone you're not. You guys will get it. I like your costumes."

Tadase went pink again. "Really? I feel kind of silly. I mean, I'm wearing pantaloons and a doublet."

"With orange embroidery," Nade-chan added.

"Well... it looks good on you, anyways," Amu smiled.

"You said the same thing about Platinum Royale," Rima muttered. "And he was wearing a frilly white prince costume with ribbons."

"And I like the dress," Amu told Nade-chan, ignoring Rima's comment.

"Thanks, Amu-chan," Nade-chan shrugged. "I'm supposed to have my hair braided back, but I'm not very good at doing anything with my hair other than ponytails."

"I can braid it," Amu said kindly. "Fishtail, French, Dutch, English, Four-Strand, Rope, or Lace? Do you want it in a waterfall, a crown, in two, bohemian, or just one down your back?"

"Uhh..." Nade-chan scratched her head. "Italian?"

Amu laughed. "How about a Four-Strand?"

"...Yes?"

Amu set to work braiding her hair. When I was 'Nadeshiko', I mastered all of the braids Amu mentioned, which wasn't something I wanted to mention, at least in front of Ikuto or Rima. I'd never hear the end of it.

"Would you like me to braid your hair, Tadase?" Ikuto offered.

"Shut up, Tsukiyomi." Tadase grumbled, watching as Nade-chan sat stock-still as Amu's fingers deftly twisted and slid through her hair, already halfway down her back.

"Oh, so you're watching to learn how to braid hair so you can do it yourself." Ikuto nodded.

"Shut up!"

"I always knew you were gay," Ikuto laughed.

I just barely saw the slightest twinge of a muscle in Tadase's jaw, but it was so tiny, I'd probably imagined it.

Rima peeked over Amu's shoulder. "You missed a strand of hair," She pointed out a lock at the nape of Nade-chan's neck.

"Really? Whoops!" Amu carefully unraveled Nade-chan's hair and started over, making sure not to miss again.

"There!" Amu finally declared. "Tada!"

The braid was very neat, her locks flowing smoothly into a flawless single braid that fell down to the center of her back.

"You look so pretty!" Amu gushed.

Rime touched the braid gently. "It suits you well."

Ikuto shrugged. "Looks like hair to me."

"It's nice," I smiled at my sister.

Tadase met eyes with Nade-chan, a funny twinkle in his eye. He dropped to one knee and proclaimed dramatically, "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear/ That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—"

"O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,/ That monthly changes in her circled orb," Nade-chan grinned, "Lest that thy love prove likewise variable."

"Aw, stop flirting, you two," I teased. "No PDA!"

"Oh, whatever, Nagi-kun," Nade-chan said dismissively. "We're just playing around. Besides, you do it all the time with Rima."

"I do not!" I protested hotly, feeling a warm flush creep up my neck. I glanced at Rima out of the corner of my eye, and found that her cheeks held just a tiny blush. I looked away.

Maybe... just maybe...

* * *

_Ikuto raised an eyebrow and whispered to Amu, who was frowning slightly, "It's a miracle! Could our sweet little king have found his queen?"_

_Amu glanced toward Ikuto. "Hmm? I guess maybe he has." Her brow furrowed slightly, as if confused. Unknown to anyone, perhaps even Amu herself, a tiny flare of jealousy blossomed inside her heart as she watched the smiles spread wide across her two friends' faces._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	13. Kairi Is An Angst-Ridden Teenager!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore! or Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare!**

* * *

**Kairi**

"Of course," I fumed, drawing the notice of a few onlookers. "Why did I expect anything different?"

It really was beautiful outside today, if very hot. I'd woken up with a good feeling in my chest, seeing how clear the day was. Cloudless with an eternally deep blue sky, hot with just a hint of a breeze. I knew that when the sky darkened, the breeze would pick up just a little, and grow until it just caused a shiver of gooseflesh. It was my favorite kind of day, mostly because of the memory that came with this weather.

On days both similar to this, and quite as different, just a year after the final showdown with Easter, I remember often spending the day with Yaya. Even though she usually annoyed me to no end, what with her constant obsessing over food and how she acted so immature, she was my best friend. Those days didn't start out any different than every time I came over to her house: she'd call and beg me to help her with taking care of Tsubasa, and I'd never been able to refuse her. I'd come over and she'd tell me she didn't get any of her homework. Usually I ended up doing it for her. Then when her parents came home, they would insist I stay for dinner. That's how so many days of my sixth-grade year went. And I was so used to it, I never expected anything different.

* * *

_I didn't think that that day, so long ago, would be any different._

_Yaya's ring tone pierced the silence. I picked it up without even hesitating._

"_I'll be there in a second," I said automatically._

"_Sorry, Kairi," She said. "Yaya has other plans. Amu invited Yaya to a pool party. Yaya gets to play in the water with her other friends and then have a sleepover! Sorry, Kairi! Yaya will see you tomorrow!" The dial tone buzzed quietly into my ear._

_I closed my phone, wondering why my chest felt so hollow. I had a free day to do anything I wanted. I could hang out with other friends. Eat lunch, maybe even catch a movie. I could catch up on my reading. Finally finish that book that normally would've taken me a couple hours instead of a week to read. I could head to the nearest library and check out more. _

_I could go to the gym and swim a couple laps, practicing for next season. Keeping in good shape for the swimming team would be smart._

_I could do anything._

_And I didn't want to._

_The afternoon passed in a blur as I sat around in the apartment, doing absolutely nothing, wondering what was wrong with me. Why wasn't I happy? For the first time in months, I had a free day all to myself. I had friends to call, people to visit, things I could do. So why did I sit on the couch, the television blaring, as I stared blankly at the screen and saw nothing?_

_My cell beeped. I stared at my phone, uncomprehending, and viewed the message. The word Hi! was underneath a picture of Yaya, Amu, Rima and Utau next to a familiar sign that read, 'Slide Closed' on a white gate._

_Dropping the phone with a clank, I was out the door, running out from the building, the ignorant to the world around me as I made my way to the water park in the distance, faster than I had ever moved before. As it came into view, I saw a figure standing alone, a girl, as if waiting for her friends to return. _

"_Kairi?" Yaya stood in front of me, wearing a soft white dress and sparkly flip-flops. She had her hair loose, held back only by a navy blue headband; a rarity, as it was always in pigtails or ponytails. The colors of her baby-pink swimsuit poked through her cover-up._

_Without explaining, without any thought, I leapt forward and embraced her in a hug. She was still with surprise for a second or two; I felt her smile, and she slid her arms around my neck, squeezing tight."Yaya is glad Kairi came. Yaya likes being with friends." She laid her head on my shoulder, giggling. "You're my best friend, Kairi." Yaya lifted her head from my shoulder to stare me right in the eye, unblinking. "Don't you forget it."_

* * *

"Augh!" I sat down on a bench, putting my face in my hands. For weeks now, Yaya had avoided me to the extent that I rarely saw her anymore. She was always somewhere else, doing something else. On the rare chance where I'd see her, she'd keep her eyes fixed to the ground and hurried away, like I had some sort of horrible sickness like malaria or the bubonic plague.

"Kairi?"

I looked up to see Yaya standing there, eyes plastered to her feet. She wore a knee-length white dress covered in tiny pink polka dots, a familiar necklace with a pink strawberry around her neck that she'd gotten from Amu last year, and a pair of old yellow flip-flops. She held a large cardboard box that held a stack or two of neon yellow flyers.

"Amu said you were coming to help me pass out flyers," She said to her feet.

I stood and stepped towards her. "Yaya," I said, relieved. "You're here."

"Yes," she nodded, looking up and staring at a spot above my head. "Let's go." She turned and began walking down the sidewalk, not even bothering to see if I was following. "I know where we should go first." Her voice quavered strangely.

Anger and hurt at her surged through my veins. I caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "Yaya, wait."

She stiffened at my touch and pulled out of my grip. "Kairi, we need to get going. Amu said we can meet up with her later to help Nade-chi and Tadase with the play."

"Why won't you talk to me?" I asked. She paused for a second, hesitating, and then kept walking.

I followed her as she walked, turning a corner and pausing. Her legs appeared to be shaking slightly.

"Where are we going?" I asked dully.

"The coffee shop down the street." She said softly, still not turning to look at me. I sped up to walk beside her, trying to look into her face. I could tell she knew what I was doing, but she kept looking straight ahead.

"Here we are." She walked up to a shop, clear windows giving off a strong reflection that hid the room beyond well.

I stepped ahead of her and opened the door for her. "Here." For just a second, we met eyes, rich chocolate brown to blue, just a bare instant of recognition before she turned away.

"Thank you."

Every inch of the walls and floor were painted with a huge mural that was nothing less than a mish-mash blend of cultures from all around the world, painted in absolutely incredible detail. Traditional dancers from here in Japan, Hollywood from America, the Coliseum in Rome, the Alps, every bit of the history and cultures of the world you could smash into a coffee shop. The chairs and tables and couches were all pure white, as if trying to stand out in an intense room. Best of all, off to the right, were white curtains framing a small stage, most likely for performances of all sorts, from singers to musicians to dancers and who knows what else.

"May I help you?" A barista called out from behind the bar counter, smiling expectantly.

"We're from Seiyo Academy, with posters and flyers to advertise the upcoming performance 'Romeo and Juliet' on the 28th and the 29th," Yaya said briskly, which annoyed me to no end. So she was going to be polite and courteous to everyone but me? "If we could leave some here, that would be great."

"Sure! You can hang them up on the advertisement board or set them on the table beneath it over there by the McDonald logo. There should be a staple there, so you can do what you like. Just don't take down or cover up anyone else's ads, 'kay?"

I picked up the stapler and pulled a small pile of flyers from the box, stapling one to the board and setting the rest down on the table.

"That's good," Yaya said quietly, and turned to call out to the barista, "Thanks again!"

"No big! Have a nice day!"

I followed Yaya out the door and back into the sunshine. "We should go to a few other shops across the street," Yaya kept walking. If not for the occasional words she spoke, I might as well have not been there. The thought infuriated me as I walked behind across the street.

After trailing behind her silently, unable to squeeze any words out of her unless she was talking to another employee or manager or store clerk about hanging up flyers as the cardboard box slowly emptied, I was seriously getting frustrated.

"I think there's a book store this way." I saw her glance just a fraction in my direction, and turn away quickly, as if seeing my face and looking into her eyes would be the end of her.

"Yaya—" I burst out, fury swelling inside my chest. I caught her flinching just a little, like she was scared.

Of me. Her best friend.

Ex-best friend, I told myself bitterly. That was certainly how it looked to me.

"Here it is," She pointed to a store called 'Comes From Trees', which was just as crazy as the cafe with the murals.

We entered the store, the door tinkling as it swung shut behind us. This area of the store was incredible, looking like a garden beneath a large tree. With tiles paths designed to seem like dirt, faux grass around bookshelves with faux flowers draped around and surrounding the bookshelves, and incredibly real looking flowers painted onto the walls, even a fake tree trunk in the center of the room, made it feel like I'd stepped into a real garden underneath a tree with wildflower fields in the distance. I looked up to the ceiling, and saw it was clear, guessing that there was a second floor that was made to look as if you were standing on the branches of a tree. Most likely there was some sort of staircase hidden in that trunk.

"May I help you?" A short, stout man hurried forward expectantly.

"Yes, sir. Seiyo Academy is..." Yaya began the same speech she'd used on the people of the other stores, still with the same businesswoman tone she'd been using on the others. Surprise, surprise, he agreed, and five minutes later we were out of there.

"No more flyers." She tossed the box in a nearby Dumpster. "Let's meet up with Amu and the others." Her tone was so cold, so empty, that I wanted to shiver and demand that the real Yaya, my Yaya, be brought back. The one that looked me in the eye. The one that didn't act like I didn't exist. The girl I loved.

Yaya's cell phone rang out abruptly, and she fumbled with her purse for a second before pulling it out and flipping it open. "Hello? Hey, Amu!"

Instantly her voice was its normal bubbly quality. I watched as she smiled. "Yeah, we're done. We should be heading over pretty soon. Okay, see you soon!" She shoved it back in her purse. "We should go." Her voice had switched back to emotionless mode. She set off at a brisk pace.

I watched as she strode away from me, clenching my fists. Judging by the roar of blood rushing through my ears and the heat that scalded my face, I knew my face must be red hot. I didn't care. Yaya kept walking, getting more and more distant. Soon she was out of sight.

Who knows how long I stood there in utter disbelief and anger and pain?

Memories of the two of us together flashed through my head. A cool, breezy day, filled with scolding her for being messy and rude when she spilled food all over her clothes, and having to clean it off with a napkin. Complaining that I always did her homework for her as it stormed outside, lightning crackling in the sky. Helping her clean Tsubasa's vomit off the floor. Watching as she tried desperately to fix my glasses that she had sat on. Accusing her of serious illness when she stopped talking in third person. Arguing with her over something long forgotten.

I didn't think, just felt my feet begin to move as I chased after her, following as she made her way towards Seiyo Academy, which was rising against the horizon.

"Hey!" I shouted, gaining in speed. Closer, closer, just a little bit further, till I could see her distant figure again, pushing the gates to the school open and slipping inside, moving quickly towards the school.

Yaya, convincing me to try out for something new. Cheering like an idiot as I swam like a rock at my first swim meet. Laughing at me when I tried to ask Amu out on a date. Calling me by name, without an honorific, for the first time. Begging me to buy her another bag of candy, swearing that she'd pay me back for it. Dropping by for a surprise visit on Christmas day so she could give me her present and then demand I give her hers. Buying me a health dictionary for my birthday. Forcing me to dress up as a samurai for Halloween so she could take a picture and send it to everyone we knew. Forcing me to watch a scary movie with her and then pleading that I spend the night with her because she was terrified.

She was so close now, just a little further, so close, I just had to sprint a little further through the grass, and I'd catch her...

Me, freaking out over a health issue she didn't have. Running across town just to reach her, make sure she was safe. Walking her home so I could stay with her just a little longer. Worrying that she was sick, and carrying her home. Putting her to bed. Kissing her gently, the barest touch on her lips, and whispering good night. Falling asleep watching her drool and snore like a duck. Feeling hurt and confusion as we shopped for food together, as she avoided looking at me and spoke as little as possible. Confronting her in the kitchen, almost forgetting myself and kissing her. Watching, enraged, as Kukai kissed her, trying not to drag him off her and miserably hoping that she didn't enjoy it. Searching for her, unable to find her. Realizing she was avoiding me. Thinking I was going to lose her forever.

There she was, so close I could really see her now. Hearing me behind her, she turned around in surprise. "Kairi?"

With a final bound, I leaped forward, catching her arms and grabbing them, holing on tight. "Yaya," I growled, staring her right in the eye, unwilling to look away. She flinched, and closed her eyes. "No!" I shouted.

"K-Kairi, what are you doing?" She opened her eyes again, cheeks flushed a brilliant pink, eyes flicking everywhere but my face.

"Why are you avoiding me?!" I shouted furiously. "Explain to me why you won't talk to me, won't look at me, pretend like you don't know me?!"

"Kairi, stop!"

"I've been stressed out for weeks, trying to talk to you, wondering why you keep running from me. Is it something I said?!"

" Kairi—"

"I've been your best friend for years! You tell me everything! Why are you hiding things from me?! Don't you trust me?!"

"I—I—"

"I care about you!" I shook her. "Please," I begged. "Why won't you look at me?"

"Please, Yaya," I whispered, brushing a lock of her hair from her face and sliding my hands into her hair. "Look at me..."

She lowered her gaze to my face, finally meeting her eyes with my own. Her expression was filled with terror, as if she didn't want me to discover something. And hidden beneath that, in the depths of those beautiful, clear brown eyes flecked with gold that I loved so much, was something that mirrored the same emotion that caused my heart to slam in my chest every time I saw her...

"Please, Yaya," I whispered, brushing a lock of her hair from her face and sliding my hands into her hair. "_Look_ at me..."

She lowered her gaze to my face, finally meeting her eyes with my own. Her expression was filled with terror, as if she didn't want me to discover something. And hidden beneath that, in the depths of those beautiful, clear brown eyes flecked with gold that I loved so much, was something that mirrored the same emotion that caused my heart to slam in my chest every time I saw her...

_You're my best friend, Kairi._

Pure hope blossomed in my chest. "Yaya," I breathed, "Do you like me?"

Her eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth, like a dying fish trying to breathe above water.

Her cell phone rang again, and the two of us jumped. She pulled hurriedly out of my grip, facing away from me as she fumbled with her phone. "H-Hello? Oh—yeah... um, we'll be there in a few. Bye." She closed her pone, still facing away from her. "Amu and the others are waiting for us, Kairi." Her voice broke on my name. "We should go."

I shook my head. "No, you didn't answer my question. _Do you like me?" _I glared into her eyes.

_Don't you forget it. _

"I..." She swallowed hard. "I..."

"Hey, guys!" Utau strode up to us, smiling slightly. Kukai came up behind her, grinning at the two of us. "Are you here to help with the Romeo and Juliet play, too?"

God _damn_ it!

"What were you two doing?" Kukai grinned, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"N-Nothing!" Yaya used this chance to wrench herself out of my grip, blushing fiercely and crossing her arms over her chest.

Utau smirked. "Yeah? Well, let's go, they're probably waiting for us."

Yaya scurried after Utau, glancing over her shoulder at me and flushing before grabbing Utau's arm and dragging her towards the auditorium at a pace that could only be described as 'speed of light'.

"So, dude," Kukai nudged my shoulder. "You made your move yet?"

"No!" I snapped, feeling my cheeks go red.

"Aw, dude, don't wait, man," Kukai groaned playfully. "You're going to miss your chance. You of all people should know that Yaya's considered very pretty at Seiyo. Not that she matches my Utau," Kukai said dismissively, "but other guys—and girls, too, remember last year Halloween? Catch her before someone else does."

"Please don't remind me of last Halloween," I said miserably. "I don't like remembering that girl."

"She was only trying to remove candy from Yaya," Kukai laughed.

"Remove it from her mouth with her tongue," I grumble, before pulling the door to the auditorium open.

"Hey, guys." Nagihiko called. "We're over here."

I glanced over to Yaya, who was, upon seeing me, attempting to hide behind a Fujisaki-san in a purple, white and gold Renaissance dress and a Tadase... wearing a black doublet with orange embroidery and pantaloons?

Kukai squeezed between Utau and Ikuto, who was currently attempting to ravish Amu, who paid him no attention and was watching Fujisaki-san and Tadase with an unfamiliar expression on her face. As always, Rima and Nagihiko were bickering.

I strode over to Yaya, who was now trying to escape from behind 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' but found herself trapped, and sat down firmly next to her.

"So we were just hanging around until you guys arrived," Ikuto said cheerfully, pinning down Amu, who had realized what Ikuto was trying to do and was pounding on his head and screaming at him to get off her. "But Strawberry, Shrimp, Girly-Boy, Little King and his new Queen are saying that they still have a few sets that we have to help them finish."

"We really should finish them," Tadase said apologetically. "We were all hoping you would help us, but it's all right if you don't."

. Rima snorted. "Cut the crap, Tadase. We need to finish them today, because this is our last available time to finish them before the performance. Which," She glared at all of us, "you had all better be attending. Or else."

"Eughhhh!" Amu gasped, panting slightly from the effort of holding Ikuto back.

"We can help with the sets," Utau said. "That'll be easy enough with all of us pitching in."

Fujisaki-san stood. "Hotori-kun and I will just go get dressed, and we'll help you."

Ikuto looked up from his attempted molesting of Amu. "Right, undressing each other." He smirked.

The two both blushed. "Don't be a pervert," Fujisaki-san snapped. "Let's go, Hotori-kun."

"Right behind you, Juliet," Tadase grinned at her in a way I'd never seen him smile at anyone. Come to think of it, the only time that I knew Tadase grinned was when somebody said anything that even remotely sounded like 'ouji', and then it was a frightening grin. Like a rape face.

"You're not helping," Fujisaki-san gave him a severe look.

"Sorry," He mumbled, and followed her away.

"Let's go get the stuff." Rima stood, and the rest of us followed her.

"Guys!" Amu pleaded. "Don't leave me alone with Ikuto!"

* * *

_Unbeknownst to the good friends, several miles away, a figure stood in a room, staring out in the harsh afternoon light that was just starting fade into the soft evening. _

_The darkened figure turned away from the vision, expressionless, and floated over to a thick dusty cloth that hung over a tall object, hiding it from sight. A single flicker of his wrist caused the cloth to go flying off the mirror._

_The figure looked emotionlessly into the mirror, seeing horrible black eyes, shiny like a beetle's. With a terrible smile, one that stretched the creature's face and distorted it so that its attempt at a human face was stretched grotesquely._

_The flesh on its face literally melted off, dripping into a steaming puddle. In its place was a slimy creature covered in what looked like black ink. It smiled once more, and sharp white canines protruded from its grin. The demon-like figure's hand-claws moved, twisting and twitching fingers like some horrible spider._

"_Revenge," It whispered, an echoing, rasping voice that sounded as if millions of voices, men, women and children, were all speaking as one. The noise resonated eerily throughout the room._

_The monster laughed, and the putrid stink of rotting flesh filled the room._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	14. It Begins (Dun Dun Dunnn!)

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore! or Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare!**

* * *

**Amu**

"We're done!" I declared happily.

The sets were complete, finally. The square in Verona, Juliet's chambers, and the friar's quarters, were all finally complete. Lucky that I'm a better artist than I was a couple years ago, so I could help Nagihiko with the detailing while the others finished everything else.

"So I guess that's it?" Rima asked brusquely, wiping her hands off on the huge white shirt she'd worn over her clothes to protect them.

"They look very nice," Tadase said happily.

"Aw, thanks!" I smiled at him, and he blushed adorably. Wait, what?

"I'm out," Ikuto said immediately, and stood to leave.

'Oh, no, you don't!" Utau lunged and snatched his arm, preventing him from doing so. "You're going to help us clean up. Anyone up for dinner?" Utau called.

"Oh, yeah!" Yaya leapt to her feet and glomped Utau. "Can we? Can we? And then get ice cream later!"

"Down, girl." Utau plucked at Yaya's fingers. My overly-hyper friend squealed and let go, only to fall into Kairi's waiting arms. Immediately she froze and squeaked, going stiff and straight as he pulled her down into a sitting position.

"That does sound nice," Rima mused.

"We have school tomorrow, though," Nade-chan spoke up. The rest of us stared at her.

"Queen," Ikuto coughed, and Nade gave him such a terrifying look he actually stayed silent.

Wow. I could really get used to having Nade-chan around all the time.

"I'll be good," Kukai shrugged.

Kairi spoke up. "So will I. And Yaya."

"I'll have to call my parents," Nagi spoke up.

"Oh, yeah!" I smacked my forehead. "I should, too!"

"It's settled, then," Utau said calmly. "Everyone who needs to, call home, and then we'll go eat dinner at... How about that French restaurant down on Fifth street?"

"Oh!" I gasped. "My parents took me there once, they have really good lobster!" My friends stared at me. "What?"

* * *

"_Just a tease," The creature rasped, raising a clawed hand and pointing at a tiny child, giggling and laughing as it played with one of his toys, a young mother watching him with pure love and adoration in her eyes. Immediately the toddler cried out in pain, collapsing on the ground, twitching horribly. A pitch black X-Egg, radiating powerful violet energies, rose out of the child's heart and floated in front of the creature. "Let's play." The thing giggled._

_Giving the X-Egg a ghastly smile, beckoning towards it with a spidery finger, it whispered, "Hurt them."_

_The X-Egg sped off into the evening, across the city lights into the distance._

* * *

"That was so good!" I burbled happily. "I haven't had French food in a long time."

"Ah, I'm so sleepy now!" Kukai held his arms behind his head, yawning.

"Geez, you're such a kid," Utau groaned.

The russet-haired boy smiled mischievously and leaned towards the idol, smirking slightly. "You called me a kid again," He whispered into her ear. "You're not supposed to call me a kid. Now you get your punishment. Do you remember what it is?"

Utau flushed bright pink, something I'd rarely seen happen before, and muttered. "Stop it. We're in public."

He pressed his lips against her cheekbone. "And?"

She smacked him with the back of her hand. "Stop that!"

"I will if you kiss me," He said happily, pulling her into his arms.

Ikuto cleared is throat, giving Kukai a rather scary look. "Ahem..." Kukai gulped nervously and stepped away from Utau. "We should probably get home now. It's getting late."

"Oh my goodness, Hell has frozen over," Rima declared. "Ikuto's being responsible!"

The blue-haired man scowled. "Go make out with Girly-Boy."

"Eh, I should get home, soon, though," I said regretfully.

"Us, too," Nagi nodded, motioning to Nade-chan. "I have dance practice, and Nade-chan..." He glanced at his twin. "What are you doing?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, really. I—" Her eyes widened in horror. "OH MY GOD!"

"What? What is it?" I turned to see what she was looking at, and gasped. "An X-Egg!"

Floating above our heads was a large black egg with a white X emblazoned across it, exuding negative energy so powerful the light and happiness seemed to have drained from the world around me.

_Useless... Useless... _The X-Egg wailed.

"I haven't seen one of those in years," Kukai stared at the black, floating egg.

"Amu!" Rima shouted.

"Yeah! Ran!" I shouted.

"Hai!"

_My own heart... unlock!_

With a burst of energy and the sensation of weight being lifted from my heart and body, the Humpty Lock shining a fierce pink, I popped into my character transformation with Ran, Amulet Heart. Beside me, Rima had become Clown Drop.

"Let's help!" Someone shouted from behind me. I could barely hear who it was over the cacophony of noise coming from this X-Egg.

With a blast of purple light, the X-Egg gave off an explosion like a bomb, strong energy shoving at us from all direction like a ruthless wind.

"Ahh!" I landed hard on the ground, scraping my arms and legs. I struggled to get to my feet, ignoring the thin cuts and scrapes on m skin where blood was flowing freely.

"Kiseki!" Tadase shouted behind me. "Unlock my heart!"

A sparkle of energy, and Tadase was Platinum Royale. "White Decoration!" He yelled, thrusting his staff into the air.

The X-Egg was trapped in a swath of light, struggling violently. To everyone's astonishment, the energy from the X-Egg swelled and mixed into the golden light from Tadase's Golden Staff, turning the golden energy into a nasty purple. With a scream, the egg gave off another explosion of negative energy.

"Go! Go! Little Duckies!" A flood of little rubber ducks surrounded the X-Egg, before being blown to bits and scattered by the X-Egg's power.

"What is with this thing?" I yelled. "Why is it so strong? Miki!" Switching into Amulet Spade, I twirled the brush in m hand and hollered, "Colorful Canvas!" The X-Egg gave off another explosion and dispersed my attempt.

"Musashi!" Kairi drew his sword and cried, "Lightning Blade!"

The X-Egg absorbed the lines of pure, arching lightning, and gave off another explosion, now tinged with electricity and the smell of acrid in the air.

"Heart's Desire!"

_Heart's Desire?_

"White Euphoria!"

What the heck?

From behind me a figure dressed in pink and white flashed above me, shooting balls of white fire at the X-Egg, which dodged the flames with a shriek. The flames ricocheted off a wall and hit Kukai full in the face, who started giggling and prancing around like an idiot.

"Whoops!"

USELESS! The X-Egg, to everyone's horror, began to swell, rowing in size into it was absolutely huge, as if collecting all the broken dreams and negative thoughts and use them to its advantage.

"Dia!" I bellowed, and transformed into Amulet Diamond. "Twinkle Shield!"

With a burst, the energy surrounding the X-Egg burst and shoved violently against my shield as I leapt to cover my friends. Trying desperately to shield the others and brace myself, I held out for another second before cracks appeared in my shield, and it shattered.

"Ahh!" I was tossed to the ground like a limp rag doll.

"Lightning Blade!" Kairi called, at the same time Rima shouted, "Juggling Party!"

The X-Egg screamed, _Useless!_ and attempted to escape, but was trapped by crackling electricity and juggling pins that swirled around it.

"Amu!" Someone cried.

Negative Heart... lock on!" I shouted. "Open Heart!"

The X-Egg shone a sparkling white, a heart's egg cleansed of its X, and flew away into the night.

With a pop, I turned back, panting slightly. "That was crazy!"

Tadase nodded, flashing back from Platinum Royale. "That's very strange. An X-Egg hasn't been sighted in years, let alone one of such power."

"Why would one just show up now?" Rima asked.

"Maybe it's just a fluke," Utau tried to calm the rest of us down. "We haven't exactly been looking for them, one just showing could happen."

"I suppose so, but what are the odds?" Ikuto frowned. "We would've come across more earlier, right? And one that powerful, too."

"X-Eggs scare me a little," Yaya said nervously, her chara-nari gone.

Kairi pushed up his glasses. "Should we look into this?"

"Calm down, guys," Nade-chan said reassuringly, still in her chara-transformation.

Wait... what?'

"Nade-chan, you can transform?" I exclaimed.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. My chara-nari is called Heart's Desire." She curtsied. Dressed in a plain white apron over a soft pink kimono with her hair tied back simply, with a tiny white dove pinned just above her ear.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Nagi said incredulously. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't know it was important." Nade-chan was alarmed. "I didn't know you guys could do it, too."

"Sure," I said, surprised. "With Ran, I'm Amulet Heart, with Miki, Amulet Spade, Amulet Clover with Su, Amulet Diamond with Dia... and I guess Amulet Fortune, technically, with all four of them together."

Nade-chan's eyes were wide. "You can transform with all four of your guardian characters?"

"I only did it once, and that was a really long time ago," I said.

"I'm Dear Baby with Pepe," Yaya volunteered.

"Surprise, surprise," Nade-chan muttered.

"I'm Samurai Soul." Kairi nodded, pushing up his glasses.

Rima shrugged, "Clown Drop."

Kukai laughed. "Sky Jack. I didn't think I could do that again, actually, I've only done it, like, once or twice."

"I used to be Lunatic Charm and Seraphic Charm with mine," Utau said wistfully.

"An angel and a devil," Nade-chan mused. "Interesting.

Ikuto smiled. "Midnight Cross. And..." He hesitated. "Death Rebel, and technically Seven Seas Treasure."

"Seven Seas Treasure? Like, a pirate?"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow. Dammit! Seriously, why can everybody else do that and not me? "Your point?"

Nade-chan hid a smile. "Nothing, nothing."

"Platinum Royale," Tadase said shyly.

Nade-chan giggled. "You sure had a lot of bows and frills on you. All white, too. A crown and a scepter, too. What's that about?"

"Sh-Shut up!"

"But, so you can transform?" I insisted.

"What can you do?" Rima was interested. "I guess you already saw what we can do, but what about you?"

"Ah, just a few things. Um... Like Permanent Dream, or White Euphoria. And, um, Sweet Influence."

"What are those?"

"...Um, well, Permanent Dream is... it's a blast of power that traps all X-Eggs within a ten-foot radius. But I rarely use it, because all the X-Eggs that are trapped in the radius are crushed if they aren't cleansed soon enough. And... White Euphoria is a cleansing move, like what Amu did, except it's white flames that come from my hands that I throw at them. And... I'm not a very good shot," She said sheepishly. "And then Sweet Influence gives me total and complete control of everyone and everything around me. But it only lasts like ten seconds, because it takes up a lot of energy."

I jump up and down a little. "That's pretty awesome, though!"

"Anyways," Nade-chan continued, blushing, "It's only one, right? Is that unusual? Because if it is, we should look into it, but if not, then we can probably just forget it."

"That sounds good," Tadase agreed. For some reason, I felt funny that he'd been the first to agree. Probably just my dinner in my stomach.

"Right," Nagi agreed. Rima nodded.

"The X-Egg was really powerful," Su hid behind her hands.

Ran shivered. "Normal X-Eggs aren't supposed to be that powerful."

"It looked normal, but it held a lot of negative energy," Dia said. "To accommodate that much power, the X-Egg should have been much bigger, but it wasn't. It was like a regular X-Egg got a boost of caffeine."

"We can't worry about this now, we don't have any time to go looking for answers," Ikuto crossed his arms. "Let's just stick with the plan."

"That'll work for now." Kairi bowed his head. "I suppose, then, we should part. But, keep an eye out for more X-Eggs, just in case."

"Also, did you guys see how it worked best when two of us were attacking at the same time?" I asked. "If we fight another X-Egg, it'd be best to team up into pairs. Two attacks at once seems to work."

Rima's brow furrowed. "Otherwise we get overwhelmed."

"Right," I nodded. "Let's go home."

Immediately Yaya raced off, calling, "Bye, guys!" behind her, before any of us knew what was happening. Kairi glowered after her.

"I should go. See you, guys!" I waved, then turned to run.

"I'll carry you." Ikuto swept me up into his arms and began running, leaping onto a stone wall and running gracefully. Which was so unfair, he didn't even have Yoru to help him and he was still just like a cat!

"PUT ME DOWN!" I yelled, squirming.

"Now, now Amu," Ikuto scolded. "I'm not going to drop you from a height of ten feet."

I looked down to the ground, which was so far away I felt dizzy. "Take me home, take me home, take me home," I whimpered, clinging to the front of his shirt.

After what seemed like way too long a time above the ground, Ikuto leapt onto my front porch and set me down gently.

"Thanks," I muttered, turning to hurry inside. One glance at my watch told me I was already late.

"Wait, Amu." I turned, and Ikuto lifted my chin up, planting a kiss on my lips.

I felt my cheeks heat up. 'N—N—" I spluttered against his mouth, attempting to hit him hard on the head, but gave up, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back as warmth flooded my chest.

He released me, smiling softly, and pulled me in for a hug, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "Amu..."

"Y-Yes?" I stuttered, heart beating wildly, holding Ikuto's shirt in my fists in a desperate attempt to stay upright as my legs had decided to give out.

"I lo—"

With a bang, my door flew open, and I shrieked and leapt back from Ikuto. "AMU!" My dad raced towards me and squeezed the air out of me. "You're home!" He set me down and sent a malevolent glare at Ikuto. "Who's this? What is he doing here?"

"Dad!" I was appalled.

My mother appeared at the door, smiling. "Calm down, Tsumugu-chan. It's just a boy."

"NO! My little Amu-chan isn't allowed to have a boyfriend!"

I sweat-dropped. "You were fine with Tadase."

"That's because he was innocent and obviously like a brother to you! Who knows what this suspicious character will do to you?"

"He's not wrong," Ikuto murmured in my ear.

"You're not helping! And he's not my boyfriend!"

"But we've gone out on dates several times," Ikuto pouted.

"Yeah, like four years ago!" I protested, and turned back to my father, who was surrounded by flames. "Uh-oh..."

Somehow a large baseball bat had appeared out of nowhere in my dad's hands. "ATTAAAACK!" He roared, and leapt towards Ikuto.

"Bye, Amu!" Ikuto kissed my cheek and began to run away, waving cheerfully at me as my dad chased after him, waving the bat like a maniac and leaving a trail of fire in his wake.

My mother sighed. "Welcome home, Amu-chan."

* * *

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	15. Man, He's A Good Kisser!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! Here is the play!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Rima**

With all the chaos behind stage, where crew member and actor alike panicked and ran around like idiots behind the curtains, it was practically a miracle that we were on time, the show about to start. "All right, everyone, places!" Nikaidou-sensei called.

"Act One, Scene One, hurry!" I shouted over the cacophony of noise, directing a couple members of the crew to hurry and get the scene into place.

Our class rep, Soshi Yamada, growled in frustration. Obviously he was on edge. "Where are the actors? Sampson and Balthasar! Where are Gregory and Abraham? Benvolio, Tybalt, stop making faces at the crowd and wait off stage until it's your turn!"

"Is everyone ready? Lady Capulet, Montague, you look fine. Now hurry, get into position. You two, Capulet, Lady Montague. Where's the prince?"

"Oh, shit," I muttered.

"Prince?! Don't call me prince! I AM KING!" Tadase roared, laughing maniacally as flames danced around his crowned head. "MWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Tadase, calm down!" Amu said frantically, heels dug into the ground as she tried to keep him from running onto the stage and announcing that he is now the audience's king and they had all better obey them or he'd throw them in the dungeon. "Help me!" Amu was frantic.

I grabbed the back of Tadase's weird doublet and attempted to hold him back. "You've got to be freaking kidding me!"

Nagi appeared at my side, helping to drag our 'king' back off stage. "What do we do?" Amu wailed. "He's gone mad, how do we stop it?"

"Let's throw him in one of the dressing rooms, he should calm down soon... I hope." Nagi grunted with effort and yanked a flaming Tadase ("MWAHAHAHAHA!") towards a room, dragging him through the door and slamming it shut, panting and sweating.

Nade-chan, who had been no help whatsoever, was rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically. "And where were you?" I glared at her.

"P-Prince!" She choked.

The sounds of swords clashing on stage drew my attention. Sending a still-laughing Nade-chan one last dirty look, I peeked out onto stage.

"The fight scene!" I whispered to Amu. "Romeo's part is coming up!"

"Do you think he'll have changed back in time?" Amu asked, worried.

Nagi thought for a second. "I don't know. Sometimes they last pretty long."

"Oh, no, oh, no, what if he doesn't change back?"

"Calm down, Amu, don't freak out," I said crossly. "There's got to be some way to snap him out of it."

Nade-chan stopped laughing suddenly. "Oh, yeah! Hold on a second, guys." She got up off the floor, strode over to the room where Tadase was being held ("MWAHAHAHAHA!") and entered the room, closing the door behind her. With a funny thumping noise, the loud evil laughter cut off abruptly, and Nade-chan strode back out of the room, smiling pleasantly as she dragged an unconscious Tadase out of the room and dumped him in front of us.

"Unhh..." Tadase groaned, sitting up rubbing his head. "What happened?"

"I made you pass out and dragged you out here. By the way, you're on in..." She checked her watch. "Five minutes."

"Oh, no!" The dazed blonde leapt to his feet and dashed towards the stage.

"...She just says the weirdest things like they're nothing," I muttered.

* * *

**Amu**

"But, soft! What light from yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," Tadase poured his heart out to Nade-chan, who stood on the balcony in Capulet's orchard. "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon..."

"He's pretty good," Rima muttered in my ear. "Kinda funny, though. They do make a good couple."

"Yeah..." I frowned, feeling yet another twinge of jealousy in my chest. "They do, don't they?"

Nagi sidled behind us. "Hey, guys. How are they doing?"

"Pretty all right," I replied.

"Hm. Do they look like they're madly in love to you?" He watched the two on stage, pursing his lips.

"Mmm... not really, just normal, to be honest," Rima said apologetically.

"But then, it's hard to portray what you don't feel, especially if you're not used to acting," I said in an offhand voice, still watching the two and trying to understand why it was that I kept feeling these weird twinges in my chest.

Just a little while ago, Tadase and I had gone out for a little. He'd asked me, and I'd said yes, convinced that I could make him happy, that maybe loving him as a friend would change. But it hadn't gone as I planned, and I know that he saw that I loved Ikuto, not him; he broke up with me late in the fall. I was still guilty, knowing how hard it was on him and guessing that maybe he wasn't over me yet. I'd hoped he'd find someone better, someone who really deserved him, but now... now that it was possible he actually had... was I seriously regretting choosing Ikuto? Had it really become a choice between the two again? I was so sure Ikuto was the only one for me. No one else.

Right?

_You're just being protective, _I told myself. It was the only thing that made sense. Because I didn't like Tadase. Not like that.

"Here it comes," Nagi said doubtfully.

"Hmm?" I jumped back into reality, just to see Tadase step forward and kiss Nadeshiko, sliding a hand on her lower back and the other behind her head.

"Oh, shit," Rima giggled quietly.

* * *

**Tadase**

Here it goes, I told myself. I stepped forward, determined to make this look good, and leaned in to kiss Fujisaki-san.

Then second my lips touched hers, all thoughts flew out of my head. For a second, I was dazzled b the feeling of being so close to her, touching her skin. Before I knew it, I was pulling her closer and she was clutching the front of my doublet. Her lips were soft; she held a different sweet, not like fruit or candy or any dessert I had ever tasted before. Completely unfamiliar, but for whatever reason I... enjoyed. I could smell her hair. Lavender, maybe vanilla. She fit perfectly against my body.

Someone behind me cleared their throat, and the two of us broke apart. Immediately I realized I had no air in my lungs. I began inhaling large amounts of oxygen, trying to remember my name and where exactly I was again. "Uh..." Several people in the audience laughed.

Fujisaki-san's cheeks were a soft pink. She cleared her throat and stepped away, brushing a loose strand of her long violet hair behind her ear. Her tawny eyes were bright and shining. I noticed her lips, which were slightly puffier than before, and raised a hand to my own lips, similarly puffy. I realized the corners of my mouth were turned up in a tiny smile, and my heart was thrashing around like a lunatic in my chest.

Maybe that was a little overkill.

* * *

**Nagihiko**

You've got to be kidding me. Where on earth did Tadase learn to kiss like that? I mean, seriously. No way would he have done that with Amu. Just watching him practically ravish my sister was awful. It was all I could do to not leap onto the stage and rip him off her.

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

Wow.

Tadase's a pretty damn good kisser.

* * *

**Amu**

"Well, they certainly didn't do that at practice, now did they?" Nagi grumbled, eyes shooting daggers at Tadase.

I barely heard them. Their voices, though they stood next to me, seemed to come from a distance. My stomach had dropped to my feet, heart clenching painfully in my chest, brain going fuzzy...

Before I knew it, I heard words coming out of my mouth, a far-off excuse that I had to go to the bathroom, and I was walking away, barely aware of what I was doing.

I opened the outside door into the cool night air, sliding down the wall to the ground, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

What was that all about? The horrible pit in my stomach, the way my hear had clenched, the sudden urge to rip Nade-chan and Tadase from each other's arms... the overwhelming desire to take Juliet's place...

This was wrong. All wrong, I wasn't in love with Tadase, he was just a friend, and I was in love with Ikuto. I was just being territorial because he was my friend, and I didn't want him to get hurt.

But no, a voice inside me said. You like Nade-chan, don't you, she's your friend, isn't she? Could you just want to keep him to yourself?

I covered my face with my hands. I was just being protective because he was my brother, not because I wanted Tadase to stay in love with me or because I loved him.

Sisters don't feel that way about brothers, the voice said.

"Shut up," I said aloud.

"Amu-chan!" Ran floated in front of my face. "We've been looking for you everywhere!" Miki, Su and Dia came up behind her. "Are you okay?"

"...M'fine."

I didn't realize just how long I'd been sitting there, not until I heard swords begin once again to clash and music from the choir bring weighed suspense to the fight onstage, where I assumed either Mercutio or Tybalt was dying.

Deciding I'd been gone long enough, I got to my feet and turned to go back. "Let's go back inside."

My four guardian characters tensed as one. "Did you all feel that?" Miki asked.

"Just like at dinner, only stronger," Su said fearfully.

_Useless... Useless..._

Oh, no.

I turned slowly. The X-Egg floated above me in mid-air, bobbing up and down and drawing all of my insecurities, all my worries and problems to the very top of my head.

"No!" I said angrily, shoving them away. "Dia!"

"Hai, Amu!"

_My own heart... unlock!_

A burst of light, and I was Amulet Diamond. "Starlight Navigation!" I shouted, enveloping the X-Egg in golden light.

_Useless! _the X-Egg screamed, and dissolved its own energy into the stars, which rained down like shards of black glass.

"Twinkle Shield!" I yelled, protecting myself from the knife-sharp rain.

The X-Egg shuddered, and expanded, growing larger and larger until it towered at least ten feet above me. _Useless!_

Switching with Ran, I twirled my Heart Rod and threw. "Spiral Heart!" The rod shattered against the X-Egg.

"Su!" I yelled.

_Useless!_ The X-Egg swelled again, negative power swirling around it in a vortex.

With a leap and swing of my whip, I called out, "Remake Honey!" and shot a flood of honey-like energy at the X-Egg. The X-Egg screamed, the honey dissolved, and I had only one option left. "Miki!" With a pop, I was Amulet Spade. "Colorful Canvas!"

_USELESS!_

The array of colors grew dark, and spilled on the ground in a torrent of black ink.

_If we fight another X-Egg, it'd be best to team up in pairs. Two attacks at the same time seem to work._

Two attacks.

I had one last, desperate idea. If this didn't work...

"Colorful Canvas!" I shrieked. "Su!" Fast as light, I switched character transformations. "Remake Honey!"

With a crash, the two different energies collided and flooded onto the X-Egg trapping it in a thick, honey-like substance in the colors of the rainbow. The darkness dissolved from the X-Egg, and it shrunk slowly until it grew snowy-white once more, and flew off into the night. I collapsed with exhaustion, and felt darkness overtake my vision.

A distant voice cried, "She needs help!"

Everything went black.

* * *

_The demon gave a horrible, throaty chuckled like the screams and terrified cries of children as he watched the pink-haired figure collapse onto the ground, four tiny, faerie-like characters flying away from her. "So weak," It whispered, and lifted a finger, letting drops of black ink fall from its spider-hands and fall, like a tear, onto the ground. The second it hit the ground, it spread and bubbled from the ground, giving off a strong smell of rotting flesh._

_The slime crept towards the motionless girl, closer and closer, the pavement beneath it sizzling and melting away. Closer, closer..._

_The girl startled, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Immediately the black pool melted into the ground, leaving only a faint whiff of death and decay, as well as a large hole in the concrete._

"_Sensed me, did you?" The demon smiled, distorting its features. "Smart thing..." It leaned towards the girl, still hidden in the shadows of the building, and hissed, "I will take pleasure watching you die."_

_With that, it disappeared, melting into the shadows themselves, away from the pink-haired girl that came so close to death._

* * *

"Unnh..." I groaned, rubbing my head and trying to sit up. "What..." After blinking a few times, the blurry scene around me clarified. "I passed out?"

"Amu!" Nade-chan, Nagi, Rima and Tadase were dashing to my side. "Are you okay?" Tadase was concerned.

"I... I fought an X-Egg..." I said uncertainly. "And then..."

"Amu-chan, you passed out," My guardian characters floated over to me. "And then we got help."

"You fought an X-Egg all by yourself?" Nagi was alarmed. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." I held my head, wincing. "I did a bunch of character transformations, it was really strong... just like last night..."

"How did you do it?" Rima asked incredulously.

"I just... transformed, and then attacked, and then transformed and attacked again," I yawned. "I didn't really think, I just tried to be quick and managed to hit it with two different moves at once."

"Still, that's impressive," Nagi noted.

"You need rest," Nade-chan said gently. "Do you need help standing up?"

"I've got it." I struggled to my feet. "Oh..."

Dark spots flooded my vision again, and I was gone, floating in a world of monochrome dreams.

* * *

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	16. Utau Goes Ghost-Crazy!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Utau**

I watched from a chair in the front row, two seats to the right, in the brightly-lit school auditorium, where just a few days ago the second-year play had been performed, looking up onto the stage where the Class of '15 stood, wearing for the last time the black, white and plaid uniforms of Seiyo Academy. Senior after senior became a graduate, until it was finally time for my boyfriend, Kukai Souma, to leave Seiyo and become his own adult. I smiled at Kukai as he accepted his diploma, grinning and giving me a thumbs-up. He mouthed, "Not a kid!" and I stifled a laugh as he turned and stood next to his fellow students.

"...Presenting this year's senior graduates!"

With that, the graduates rose as one, crowding around the school's principal, Tsukasa Amakawa, and hoisted him from the podium up into the air and paraded down the stage, laughing and cheering amidst the raucous applause of the gathered families and friends here to celebrate the seniors.

Quickly, I readjusted my puffy hat, making sure it still hid all my hair, and adjusted my glasses frames. "Kukai!" I stood and called, pushing through the crowd and completely forgetting about Ikuto, who was now being mobbed by dozens of squealing girls.

"Utau! Help me!"

I ignored my brother and ran up to the horde of black-clad students, trying to find Kukai through the mass of bodies. "Kukai!"

Pushing from the very center of the horde, my russet-haired, green-eyed, annoyingly tall and muscular boyfriend managed to shove his way from the quickly growing swarm of graduates to stand in front of me, smiling.

I leapt into his waiting arms, throwing my own around his neck and hugging him tight. "Congratulations!" I shouted over the noise, giving him a proud smile.

He lifted me off my feet and spun me around in a circle. "Now you really can't call me a kid anymore!" He laughed, nuzzling my cheek. I kissed him, and he held me close. It felt like one of those super cheesy moments where the whole world disappears and it's just you two.

I broke away first, resting my forehead against his. "I'm so proud of you," I whispered.

"I'm so proud of me, too!" Kukai squeezed me, and then set me down. "I'm a graduate now!"

"And a soon-to-be college student," I said, pleased.

"That's right! And don't you forget it!" He bonked me on the head playfully. "Oh, how will you manage with a big-shot boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes. "Probably the same way you deal with a big-shot girlfriend."

"By the way, your disguise sucks. Anyone can tell who you are just by looking at your face."

"What? Nuh-uh! See, look, I'm wearing a hat and glasses and everything!"

"Oh, really? Well, I'd recognize that face of yours anywhere."

"HELP ME!"

I sighed. "C'mon, let's go rescue my idiot brother."

"He's been mobbed by fan girls again, hasn't he?"

"You know him so well." I strode close to my brother and the girls, making sure I was still well disguised, and shouted, "Look! Over there! It's Utau Hoshina!"

"OMIGOD!" Every single one of the fan-girls screamed and ran off in the complete opposite direction of, well, me.

Ikuto, lying on the ground in a fetal position, got to his feet, wincing, and glared at me. "Did you seriously abandon me to go talk to your boyfriend?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"Kukai!" Amu's voice. She, Yaya and Nagihiko ran up to us.

"Congratulations!" Amu hugged Kukai.

Yaya wiped away a tear. "Aww, Kukai's all grown up!"

"Nice, man." Nagihiko gave him a high-five. "You actually passed."

"You say that like it was a surprise."

Nadeshiko and Tadase walked toward us slowly. It looked like they were arguing about something.

"Hey, hey, here's my little king!" Kukai tackled his younger friend. "Finally come to congratulate me, huh?'

"What? Oh, yeah. Well done, Kukai."

"Aw, you're too kind." Kukai gave my little brother a noogie. "How unexpected."

I knitted my brow. "Something wrong, Otouto?"

"Nothing," Tadase said quickly. "Just... tired, that's all.

"Hm." I gave him a look.

"So... Nadeshiko said, "Congratulations, Kukai. You going anywhere after high school?"

"Ah, I got a scholarship to play soccer at the Japan Soccer College!"

"So you play soccer, huh? I hope you're good."

"The very best!" Kukai said triumphantly. "I'm awesome!"

Nadeshiko smirked. "Such a big ego you have, hmm? Perhaps I should puncture it."

"Like you could beat me." Kukai grinned. "I can beat you with my ees closed and my hands tied around my back."

"Oh, really?" I crossed my arms. "Maybe you should teach him a lesson, Nadeshiko. I'd like to see this kid's ass beaten for once."

"You're on!"

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Kukai panted. "What the heck?"

I laughed hysterically. "Two to zero! You lost!"

Nadeshiko grinned, bumping the soccer ball on her knee for the 230th consecutive time. "The very best just got his ass kicked."

"That's totally impossible!" Amu was shocked. "I've never seen Kukai lose so badly!"

"This is so going on Facebook." Rima, having filmed the game on her phone, was now watching Kukai flail around in the goal box like a fish.

"How did you do that?" Nagihiko asked.

"Oh... um, I had a good coach." She looked uncomfortable. "When I still played soccer."

"You used to play soccer?" Nagi crossed his arms. "Another thing I didn't know."

"Because it wasn't important until now." She shrugged.

"OH!" I slapped my forehead. "I totally forgot! Kukai, come with me." I snatched his arm and dragged him away.

"Where are we going?!" Kukai struggled to his feet and tried to follow me.

"Kukai, remember? We have to go looking for ghosts!"

He groaned. "Not that again! You've been pulling me off every day you can manage to go look for some ghosts you saw when you ran away from Little King's party."

"Because they're real!" I insisted.

"Look, Utau, we've been looking for weeks. I think you must've either been imagining them, or you were high."

"NO! Now help me look! I know they're real, I saw them!"

"Where do we look? We've gone around practically all of the city. Where else is there to look?"

"Um..." I slowed to a stop. "AH! Where I first saw them! C'mon!" I began to run, past house after house until finally, panting and coming to a halt, I stood in front of Tadase's house.

"What are we doing back at Tadase's house?" He came up behind me.

"I went... this way?" I ran back to the corner of the street, peeking around corners. "Um... and then this way!"

"Wait a second!" Kukai protested. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Nope! Follow me!" I called. "This way!"

Down streets, around corners of buildings, jumping up along fences.

"Utau, hold on a second!" He dragged me to a stop and collapsed on a bench. "Where are we?"

"Oh..." I thought for a moment. "Um..." Absolutely nothing looked familiar. I didn't remember, at least. But... I stared at the bench. "Kukai, stand up."

"Whaa?" He got to his feet, looking confused. "What is it?"

"That bench..." I sat down in his spot. "I was here... wasn't I?"

"You lost, you two?"

I gasped and looked up, turning to the familiar figure, heart pounding in my chest. "It's you!"

The man from before, with his strange brown suit and his worn leather briefcase, bowed slightly. "You know, there's a shop around the corner. I believe they sell both—"

"Yes, yes, I know," I said impatiently. "The have maps and good cell service. Are you a ghost?"

"Utau!"

The ghost only smiled. "A ghost? I don't believe so, no. I'm on my way to work. It was very nice meeting you, however." He began to walk away.

"I told you," Kukai grumbled.

"Wait!" I called desperately.

The man stopped. "Yes?"

"I... never mind." I shook my head. "Nothing."

"That's all right. But, you two, shouldn't you be in school?" He asked.

"Oh, we're not in school. I'm in college, and he's just graduated."

"Exactly! Now why don't we go celebrate and have another ramen contest so I can beat you again?"

"Ah, congratulations. Where did you go to school?"

"Seiyo Academy." Kukai drew himself up proudly. "One of the nest in the country."

"Seiyo Academy? But that hasn't been built yet, has it?"

"What?" I blinked. "No, it's been built. Actually, it's been around for a while."

"Oh, really? I thought they wouldn't finish until next year. I suppose I'm not up on my time..." He smiled.

The gears in my head were spinning madly. "Sir, what year is it?"

"Year? Oh, 1964. How exciting, hm, that we're hosting the Olympics?"

"Wait, what?" Kukai froze. "No, it's 2015. 1964 is half a century ago."

The man laughed. "Oh, how silly. No, it's still 1964. No flying cars or men on the moon, of course not." He walked away, and I saw that as he grew farther and farther away, the sunlight seemed to pass through him, and he was gone.

* * *

_Forty-eight years ago, the man in the funny suit with the leather briefcase walked past building after building until he reached an old abandoned building, once a famous company, now forgotten. Almost as if in a dream, the just barely opaque outline of a grand tower seemed to glow through the failing walls of the sagging tower._

_What the man didn't know was that this would be his last day to work at the place. Not until the sun passed through the sky and descended towards the darkness would he know. Not until he had gotten onto the city bus at six-thirty two, just like every day. Didn't know that he would never see his wife and children again. Didn't know that it was a mistake to open the window to let one last fresh breeze into the hot, stuffy car, and therefore didn't see the bright lights coming way too fast from behind him. Didn't know that if only he'd stayed seated like the rest, he would have survived._

_No, not until the screeching brakes and the screams of the people around him erupted in his ears before the wailing truck crashed headlong into the side of the bus, did he realize he was going to die. One last flash of searing pain erupted in his body before everything went black._

_A hundredth of a second before, with one last, unheard 'I love you' to his family and friends, a silent blessing that would never again be spoken from his lips, he was gone._

* * *

"...Did we just meet a ghost?" Kukai asked.

"Of course, dummy! That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"But," He stammered, "Ghosts don't exist. They're not real."

I snorted. "Shugo chara exist, so of course ghosts would, right?"

"What logic is that?" He said hurriedly, determined to find some explanation. "Hey!"

I stomped around the corner, already knowing what I would find, and there it was: the old shop, sitting cheerfully in front of me, open for business. I stormed up to the store and yanked open the door. The old lady sat there smiling at me.

"You're back," She said. "What would you like today?"

"An explanation," I said firmly. "You're a ghost."

She blinked. "Yes, I am. Are you not, as well?" She leaned closer and inspected me. "No, I see you aren't. How strange, you have an aura similar to a ghost, however faint."

Kukai came crashing into the store. "Geez, woman, you run around like crazy!"

"And what's this?" The woman looked intently at my boyfriend. "The same aura, but stronger, yet he is not of the spirit world?"

I flipped my hair. "It's a long story. So, you're a ghost?"

"Yes, dear. But why you can see me if you are not a spirit yourself is very intriguing... perhaps..."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. What I want to know is..." I hesitated. What did I want to know? I'd been so intent on discovering ghosts that I wasn't sure why exactly I wanted to find them. "Why... what are you, exactly?"

"A spirit. dear. Of course, but you already know that. Most of us are nothing more than the imprint of departed souls, a loose piece that detached from the whole and floats. Others are whole souls, those who were unhappy in life and must find peace in order to finally move on. And then, of course, there are the monsters and demons that have no souls and are simply here to cause chaos and misfortune upon those that are living."

"Monsters and demons?" I asked. "Really?"

"Of course. They travel across the dimensions and universes, able to bend time like any other. Where there is enough belief in a demon or what they represent, they will come because that is their calling. Believe in a monster, and he will come."

"That's really freaky," Kukai said nervously. "So, if I thought enough about the Bogeyman..."

"Then he will come, and he will be whatever you believe him to be. A monster, an enemy, a god... even a kindly spirit, and that is what he will become." She frowned. "But you two... I sense something strong upon you. Familiar... but, it cannot be..." She leaned forward. Her eyes widened with shock. "The Dream Thief."

"Dream Thief? What's that?" I asked curiously.

"An ancient monster, thousands of years old. It is said that it is one of many offspring of Fear itself. Known as The Dream Thief or the Stealer of Hearts, it takes the dreams and innermost wishes of children and implants evil and pain into their bodies until they beg for mercy, at which point it kills them with its own acidic blood and watches the flesh melt off their bodies before moving on to its next victim. Though it is rare to have seen it and lived, those that have say it is humanoid, but made of black ink with hands like spiders. They say it uses the stolen dreams of the children to turn them into nightmares and cast them upon those who can stop it."

"And you smell it on me." I backed away slightly.

She nodded her head, looking slightly frightened. "It is dangerous, for it goes where it pleases, where there is happiness so it can bring devastation. It will come if called to, but it will not change his ways according to belief."

I thought for a moment. "Children's dreams?"

"That sounds too familiar to be a coincidence," Kukai said. "This thing steals Heart's Eggs from little kids and then kills them. It needs to go down."

I turned to the ghost woman. "Thank you for your help."

She was surprised. "Of course. Visit any time you like, dears."

"Wait!" I looked around. "Do you have anything... I dunno, ghost-y? Like, do you have anything that proves the existence of ghosts?"

The old woman smiled. "Young lady, there is always proof. You simply have to look for it."

As we left the shop, even though the day was bright and beautiful, the shadow of a horrible new threat was right above our heads.

* * *

_The demon hid under the shadows, body utterly still as the sound of cars zoomed around its head. There, deep in the sewers of the city, the monster opened its black eyes, hearing the call of its name ring out across the city._

_The creature born of Fear smiled grotesquely, trails of black ink dripping onto the ground._

* * *

"You've got to be joking."

Rima crossed her arms stiffly, looking as if she were afraid but to proud to show it. "There's no such thing as demons or ghosts."

Amu was shaking in her sleek, knee-high black boots. "They're not real, right?" She shivered.

"Ghosts are scary," Su whimpered.

"It sounds crazy, but it's true. We were both there, we met two of them," Kukai insisted.

Daichi nodded. "They couldn't see us, but they said that we were similar to spirits."

Ikuto leaned against them wall, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Are you sure you guys aren't on drugs?"

"I believe them," Tadase piped up. "If there are shugo chara, then why not ghosts?"

"Exactly!" I nodded emphatically. "We're telling the truth! But what really matters is that there's a monster in the city, and we have to stop it."

"I don't know..." Kairi adjusted his glasses, looking doubtful. "What proof do you have in the existence of ghosts?"

"What proof is there in the existence of guardian characters?" I shot back.

Kairi pursed his lips. "Obviously, there's no explanation. But what about ghosts?"

I sighed, looking around me for some sign I could use. The Southeastern side wall of Seiyo Academy's newer gym was a horrible place to try and find ghosts. "I don't know. But you can't forget the X-Eggs," I said strongly. "Why else would they appear so suddenly and so strongly like that? When have they ever been so powerful before?"

Kiseki floated around Tadase's head and sat down on it. "She's right. X-Eggs aren't that strong, not unless there are a lot together in once place. Then they share the energy. But this is really strong, and only in one X-Egg. That's not normal."

"Whether or not we all believe in ghosts, the abnormality of the X-Eggs' powers are too strong to ignore. The X-Eggs we dealt with when Easter was our enemy wasn't so strong. We should look into this." Nagihiko said calmly. "If Heart's Eggs really are in danger from a monster, then so be it. It doesn't really matter, does it? We still have to defeat this threat. So we should look into it, right? Get to know more about this thing, if that's really what we're up against. What other information do you have?"

"The only names we know about the monster are 'The Dream Thief' and the 'Stealer of Hearts'. Like we said before, it steals the Heart's Eggs from children and turns them into X-Eggs, and then tortures them until they can't take it anymore and melts their flesh with its blood, which is like acid."

"...All right, I believe you," Ikuto looked revolted. "I can't imagine anyone who would do that. Even Easter isn't that evil."

"Just in case, we'd better find out more. Anything this bad needs to go," Tadase spoke with determination.

"Kukai and I can keep trying to find information on this thing." I gripped Kukai's hand.

"As will the rest of us. We should try to keep to pairs, that should help with any more X-Eggs we come across." Tadase nodded.

Ikuto scowled. "Utau and I don't have character transformations. We can't do anything against X-Eggs without our guardian characters, let alone some monster out to destroy the city."

"You still have the Dumpty Key, right? Remember how that and the Humpty Lock affected us? We could transform with others' characters. If you stick with someone with two or more characters, it's possible you could still transform," I said.

"I can go with Yaya." Kairi glanced over at the said girl, who was fiercely attempting to ignore him.

"Nagi and I can go together," Rima said tonelessly.

"Since there are three guardian characters between the two of us, Ikuto can join us," Nagi looked at the blue-haired adult.

"I can pair up with you two." Amu still looked scared, but also determined. "I have Ran, Miki, Su and Dia." Her guardian characters nodded.

"Fujisaki-san and I can stick with Yaya and Kairi," Tadase added.

"Then I guess it's all settled." I looked at the faces of my friends, their expression worried and grim at the terror we had to fight. "We'd better get started."

* * *

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	17. Yaya Gets Thrown Under the Bus!

******Hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

******I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Yaya**

No matter what, I couldn't fix my eyes on anything else.

I watched Kairi laugh and talk with his friends, running a hand through his dark hair. I couldn't help it—I had to be here for the swim meet, even though I'd been avoiding him as much as possible even after he asked me that question. Obviously he had no idea I was here (and it was definitely going to stay that way) but I had to come to cheer him on. And, maybe I kind of wanted to see him again. Seeing as I couldn't bear to face him any other way.

The swimmers got into place, now focused and determined to win. The blare of the whistle shot through the room and echoed across the walls. I sighed softly as I watched Kairi dive gracefully into the water, hands slicing through the surface as he cut through the water, a white trail of foam and bubbles in his wake.

Pepe floated along beside me, bullying Musashi about something I wasn't even paying the slightest attention to. I didn't like staying away from Kairi. Being around him felt so comforting and warm, but being away felt like a piece was missing. I hated feeling like this. I mean, seriously. A piece missing? How cliché is that? I didn't even think it was possible to feel like that. But that was the only way I could describe this.

Looking back on when I'd first made Kairi try out for swimming, I remember trying not to laugh as he swam worse than a rock. Of course, I'd cheered him on, but can you imagine trying not to laugh when you see a guy swimming like a mad upward doggy-paddle? He'd gotten loads better, but before I realized... um, that, I teased him so much about it until he promised me several bags of candy just so I would shut up.

Beside me, someone whispered in my ear, "Checking Kairi-kun out, hmm?"

I shrieked like mad and flapped my arms wildly, just like Amu used to when you sneaked up on her and jumped her. "AAAAAH!"

Nade-chi chuckled. "Scared, are we?"

"Don't do that!" I was so flustered, I didn't even see my guardian characters scurrying away in a suspicious manner over to the swimming pool.

She laughed. "You like him, right? What's wrong with checking him out? Come to think of it, why are you avoiding him, anyways?"

"I—I'm not avoiding him!" I said nervously. "I just have a busy schedule, that's all!"

"Suure." She giggled. "Why don't you go for it? I think he's into you."

"No, he isn't! He—I—" I spluttered.

"Anyways, Hotori-kun and I are here. He's in the bathroom. Just sticking to the plan. Her expression grew serious. "Thinking back, did you notice that the X-Eggs only showed up around us? Like someone—well, something—knows where we are and follows us around."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Like... this thing... it knows who we are? That it just... knows, I guess?"

She hesitated. "I think... maybe it knows we can defeat it. Like, it's trying to test us, maybe. Or try to weaken us. Something."

"You know, something about that doesn't seem right," I said thoughtfully. "Most of us are just kids. And he's only attacking us with guardian characters."

"Hey, guys," Tadase sat down right next to Nade-chi.

"Don't you think it's weird?" I asked him.

"What?"

"That this monster or demon or whatever is following us. Is it because of our guardian characters? Maybe we all have something else in common that he's looking for. Either way, the X-Eggs are all showing up around us, not somewhere else and our guardian characters can sense it. We don't have to go looking for them, they come to us."

"You think that this monster is sending them to us."

"Exactly. I think that we're his enemies. Like, he knows we can stop him with our guardian characters."

"But what about the Guardians?" Tadase wondered. "They have them, too, so why isn't he targeting them?"

"He knew about us, so why does it seem like it doesn't he know about the Guardians?"

"Maybe..." Nade-chi blew out her lips. "What is it that we would all have that is different from the Guardians?"

* * *

"_I don't see why we are even bothering to go ahead with these plans," Musashi protested. "Not when we have a monster running loose in the city!"_

"_Because these complicated relationships are dividing them," Kiseki said importantly. "If they do not put aside these problems and arguments, we will crumble. What defense against this creature will we have then? It doesn't matter that it could help them romantically now, we need to end this confusion or it could divide them all. This must end."_

_Azumi nodded. "Right. If we can't force them to solve these, it could get worse. Imagine if Rima and Nagihiko got into a fight. They probably wouldn't work together well, causing any confrontations to go badly. We might even lose them. This isn't just a case of romance fix-ups anymore, this is a life or death situation."_

_Pepe zoomed forward, around the heads of the oblivious swimmers, who were now talking now that the swim meet was over, and rammed straight into Kairi's head._

"_OUCH! What—? Ah." He saw Pepe, rubbing his head slightly, and slid away from his friends. "Pepe? What are you doing here?"_

_The tiny baby-like guardian character ignored his question. "Look over there! Yaya!"_

"_Where?" Kairi scanned the small crowd of onlookers, and spotted Yaya, who was deep in discussion with Nadeshiko and Tadase._

* * *

"Yaya!"

I looked up, hearing my name called. My eyes widened. "Oh, no," I muttered under my breath. "Uh..." I glanced around wildly, and then shot to my feet. "I have to go to the bathroom." Quick as possible, I rushed out of the pool as quickly as possible and through the open doors into the back area, where the separated changing rooms were for the swimmers.

I looked around, trying to find some exit. "Girl's Locker room!" I leapt towards the door, just about to reach the handle, when I was yanked back and dragged into the boy's locker room.

"Oh, no. You aren't escaping this time." Kairi dragged me by the arm and shut the door behind him. He pulled me over to the showering areas, well hidden from sight.

He turned to me, eyes burning, and pushed me up against the wall. I made a funny squeaking noise, feeling heat flood into my cheeks. Desperately attempting to keep my eyes away from his, I ended up staring at his chest, which wasn't much better, especially with his lean, hard muscles under his skin, or the beads of water that decorated his flesh.

"Now," He said, still holding me to the wall, "Are you going to answer my question or not?" His warm breath tickled my pink cheekbones. I glanced up, just for a barest second, and caught sight of his soft lips just above eye level, so tantalizingly close...

_Ahh! Stop it, stop it!_ I told myself frantically. "—I—I don't know," I whimpered, trying to inhale but feeling the balloon in my chest expand to the point where I seriously felt I couldn't breathe. I swear, this guy had a thing for trapping me against walls and doors.

"Tell me."

"I... I don't..." My voice trailed off as he lifted my chin to his face, forcing me to look him straight in the eye. "Uh..."

His sea green eyes met mine, filled with fire and determination. "Well?" He breathed.

I couldn't say anything. How could I? I couldn't breathe, let alone speak. No, he had me pinned under his gaze. All I could do was open and close my mouth like a landed fish and stare into the oceanic world in front of me, glancing down at his mouth, just inches from mine. My mind had gone utterly blank, as if thoughts were too terrified to cross the space.

And then he kissed me.

Then with a breath, he pulled away, breathing hard, eyes searching. "I'm sorry," He panted, looking devastated. "I didn't mean to..." Without another word, he rounded the corner and was out the door before I could move.

I slid down the wall, feeling dazed. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I felt my cheeks. Still hot. "K-Kairi..." I whispered.

"Kairi?!" Nade-chi's muffled voice was frantic. "We have a situation! We need to hurry, now!"

I peeked out the door, to see a pale, sad Kairi standing in front of a frightened Nade-chi. "What is it?" Kairi sounded dull and broken.

"The X-Eggs!" She looked terrified. The rest of our guardian characters spun around her head. "C'mon, Hotori-kun needs help!"

I raced out the door and into the pool, where Tadase, in the form of Platinum Royale, was on his knees, his expression pained. About a dozen X-Eggs had surrounded him, pounding against the shield emitting from his scepter. All around, people had collapsed, lying motionless of the ground like lifeless dolls. Kairi and Nade-chi, now Samurai Soul and Hearts Desire, were already battling them. Nade-chi leapt into the air and cried, "White Euphoria!", white flames sparking from her fingertips sent flying towards the eggs; Kairi shouted "Lightning Blade!" and shot a bolt of lightning towards the X-Eggs.

Useless! The X-Eggs seemed to swallow the attack, swelling, and then shot black electricity dancing with black flames towards my transformed friends, who yelled in pain and collapsed on the ground, spasming horribly.

"Pepe!" I screamed.

_My own heart... unlock!_

The sensation of power, like an electric shock, growing in my heart and then pushing through my body, and I was Dear Baby.

I shouted, "Merry! Merry!"

USELESS! The X-Eggs zoomed together, and with a noise louder than a cannon blast, they all exploded at once, sending each and every one of us flying back through the air and landing hard on the ground.

I tried to get to my feet, but fell to my knees, clutching my right shoulder. When I lifted my hand away, it was covered in dark blood. My thighs and arms burned and stung.

Nade-chi lay face down near me, breathing heavily. Kairi was clutching his bloody arm, face screwed up in pain. Tadase had fallen near him, unconscious, half of his face scraped and raw.

Why hadn't the double attack worked?

"HEY!" From the door near the X-Eggs, Nagi, Rima and Ikuto burst through. Nagi had become Beat Jumper, and Rima was Clown Drop, and Ikuto... was wearing a midnight blue men's kimono and a straw hat?

"Juggling Party!" Rima yelled, at the same time Ikuto bellowed, "Black Javelin!" And threw a short spear at the X-Eggs, zipping through the air with the juggling pins towards the X-Eggs. They swirled around the X-Eggs, ready to break them.

Beside me, Nade-chi took a deep breath and got up shakily, stumbling. I struggled to my feet and helped her stand. Blood ran down on of her temples. She clenched her jaw, and lifted one palm, aimed right at the trapped X-Eggs and whispered, "White Euphoria," shooting one last burst of white flames at the X-Eggs. With a blinding flash of light, the X-Eggs screamed _Useless!_ one last time before white bled energy bled into them, and they were once more pure Heart's Eggs that sparkled and disappeared.

"You guys!" Nagi ran over to the four of us and fell too his knees by his sister, cradling her in his arms. A thick trail of blood ran down Nade-chi's face, and she gave a shuddering gasp. "Nadeshiko!"

I crawled to Kairi's side, feeling tears run down my cheeks. I cupped his face gently, stroking his cheeks. "Kairi?" I whispered.

His eyes were wild, bewildered. He looked at me with confused eyes, as if looking at me but not actually seeing me there.

"Guys!" Amu, Kukai and Utau came running up, red faced and out of breath

Utau knelt beside me, inspecting my shoulder. "This is bad. This is really bad."

"Tadase!" Amu flung herself next to the ex-King's body, trembling as she stared at his scraped face, raw and bloody.

Rima fell to her knees. "This can't be happening. This is not actually happing, it's a dream, it's a dream..."

"We need to get them to the hospital!" Nagihiko shouted.

Ikuto's face was hard and cold. He knelt by Tadase, his expression cruel and pained. "That thing's gonna pay."

Su floated next to Amu, settling gently on her shoulder. "Amu?" She asked tentatively. "I can help."

Amu gasped, air sucking into her lungs. She looked at her little green guardian character, an idea glinting past the despair in her eyes.

"Unlock my heart," She whispered, and a green blaze of energy enveloped her, then dying down, leaving Amulet Clover in her place. A whisk popped into her grip.

"Remake Honey!"

With a burst, a torrent of golden power flooded over my skin and swam around my body, drenching the group in a skin-tingling, sweet soothe that filled my skin and left a honey scented tinge in the air. I watched in fascination at my hands, feeling ice in my shoulders and limbs and then heat as the torn, ragged flesh knitted itself back together. I turned to Kairi. The blood and bone poking from the skin of his arm had, with a horrible squelching, cracking noise, slid back into place and healed. The cuts on Tadase's face closed. As if in fast-forward, little flakes of new skin formed on his face until it was just as smooth as before. Nade-chi relaxed immediately, letting out a soft "oh" and a sigh, the blood on her face no longer existent.

"It worked," Nagi said in relief.

"I did it," Amu said tremulously. Tears dripped from her nose. Ikuto stepped forward to comfort her, holding her and stroking her head gently as she cried.

Nade-chi blinked, looking at the devastation around her, and got to her feet slowly. "We did it."

Nade-chan." Her twin embraced her, and they stood there together, just holding each other.

"Kairi?" I asked quietly.

His eyes met mine, surprised. Something seemed to click in those beautiful blue orbs, and sadness seemed to spill into them. Inside my head, the words I should've said before pounded over my ears. _I love you. I love you._

And now it was too late.

In the gathering darkness of the twilight, I walked slowly down the street to my house alone. Thoughts of this afternoon still burned in my mind: the kiss, the attack. Both seemed to fill my head, trying to dominate the space. The taste of salt on Kairi's lips. The double attack that hadn't worked. The way he held me to his chest, not soft gentle at all like he usually was, but hard and desperate. The thick trail of dark blood that ran down Nade-chi's temple. How he had turned away from me, denying that I stood there in front of him, like a cruel imitation for what I had done to him.

Lost inside the flutters swirling in my brain, I didn't notice three things. One, that being alone, I wasn't safe. Two, that I paid no attention to my surroundings. Three, there was no one there to hear me scream.

Which is why when I felt every hair on my body raise, it was already too late.

I halted, widening my eyes. I couldn't scream, couldn't make a noise. Ever so slowly, I turned around, pure terror pressing in around me and filling my throat, choking the breath from my lungs and coursing through my veins.

I caught only a flash of pitch-black ink, and the scent of blood and something rotting filled my nostrils before my shoulder stung and an inhuman scream of pain mixed with blinding darkness.

* * *

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	18. Patrolling with the Pervert!

******Hello, Hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

******I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Ikuto**

"Will she be all right?" Utau asked worriedly.

"The doctors say she's stable, but they can't figure out what attacked her." Yaya's mother's voice broke.

Kairi said nothing. He sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs right by Yaya's side. When her parents had found her unconscious just outside their neighborhood with three long, narrow slashes on her shoulder, they'd rushed to the hospital. It had been a hard past few days, having only been notified and allowed to see her before then. Before, every one of us had been terrified that the monster had killed her.

The second we found out, we had all hurtled to the hospital (Kairi in the lead) and demanded to see her until her family had finally come out and let us in. They told us she hadn't been fully conscious since, only stirring and mumbling things that no one could decipher.

Amu patted the woman's shoulder. "She'll be just fine."

"Onee-san is still sweeping?" Yaya's little brother crawled up to the bed and clambered onto his mother's lap, looking curiously at his sister.

"Yes, Tsubasa-chan, so keep quiet." She stroked her child's hair and kept her voice steady.

"Mama, when will Onee-san wake up?"

"Soon, Tsubasa-chan. Now let's go get her a present so you can give it to her when she wakes up." She led the little boy out of the room, telling us, "Please, watch over her while we're gone."

Nadeshiko sat next to Tadase, her arms crossed tight. "We need to find that monster."

"How?" Kukai asked. "Where would we even start?"

I spoke up. "Why didn't it kill her? It's a ruthless, evil monster that's hurt all of us already. And if it's powerful enough to come out in daylight and attack one of us, then Yaya would be in a worse condition. So, what happened?"

"We can't let this happen again." Tadase said in determination. "We can't have anyone else get hurt."

"Why don't we set up patrols?" Nagihiko asked. "That way we could be there to protect other people."

"We won't have much time, most of us are all fairly busy. We don't have much time to spare, most of us will either be in school or working." Utau shook her head. "Would that be enough?"

"I can't think of any other way. Also, we have to be more careful. Yaya, Kairi, Fujisaki-san and I all walked home together, but after we parted ways, one of us was still attacked."

Rima piped up. "At first, the X-Eggs came at nighttime. Then there was the attack at the swimming pool, and that was during the day. Then right after Yaya was attacked in the evening. The X-Eggs at the swim meet were the only time we've seen them come out during the day."

"Sunlight must weaken the monster," Nagihiko thought hard. "The confrontation at the swim meet must have weakened the monster, so it attacked one of us in person instead of using X-Eggs."

"That means most of the attacks will be at nighttime. That's when we need to patrol." Amu sighed in frustration. "But then, we still eat dinner and do homework during the nighttime. And we need to sleep."

"Why don't we work in shifts? One week, and some of us will go out at night while the others stay at home like normal. Then the next week, we can switch." Nade suggested.

"That's a good idea," Tadase agreed.

"I can team up with Shrimp and Girly-Boy," I said.

"Amu, Kukai and I could work." Utau looked at Kairi, Nadeshiko and Tadase expectantly.

"I can go with you," Tadase suggested.

"I'll be with my brother, Rima and Tsukiyomi," Nadeshiko motioned over to us.

"Kairi?" Amu asked tentatively.

"I..." Kairi croaked. "Can I..." He motioned helplessly at Yaya.

"You can watch over Yaya, if you'd like," Tadase said gently. Kairi nodded, and was silent.

Yaya's little brother came waddling back into the room with a ham-fisted grip on a small, fuzzy white stuffed bunny. His mother followed him back into the room, giving us a strained smile. "We're back."

"Kaiee-ree," Yaya mumbled. The ten of us turned, listening. Yaya mumbled some more incoherent sentences before yawning and shifting slightly. I saw her eyes moving under her lids.

Yaya's mother pulled up a chair to Yaya's bedside and stroked her hair. "Yaya-chan? Honey, are you awake?"

Yaya opened up her eyes, blinking, and found her mother. "Mama? Tsubasa-chan? Where am I?" She yawned. "What's going on?" She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"You're in the hospital, baby," Her mother said soothingly.

Yaya winced and touched her shoulder. "What happened to my shoulder? The last thing I remember is..." Her eyes widened, and she choked. "The—the—"

"Shh, shh." Her mother leaned in and hugged her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "It's all right. We'll figure it out later. Right now you should rest."

Yaya shook herself. "I'm all right. Before any of us could stop her, she pulled herself out of the hospital bed and stood barefoot on the cold floor.

"Yaya, get back in bed!" Amu said frantically. "You're hurt!"

She waved her off dismissively. "I'm fine. I just need a little food and some clothes, and I'll be ready to go."

"Go where? We have no school today! Now get back in bed!"

"Ah, really? How long was I out? It was Wednesday, so it's Sunday now..." She laughed in surprise. "I got to sleep for three days? Cool!"

"You aren't fully recovered, Yaya," Nagihiko said placatingly.

Yaya frowned. "What? Nuh-uh. See, I'm—" She took a step forward and her legs gave out. Her eyes widened in surprise as she fell. Kairi leapt forward and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Yaya." Kairi pulled back to covers of the hospital bed and helped her lay down. "You need to lie down. I don't want you to get hurt." He turned away as he said this.

"Kairi," Yaya said breathlessly. "H-Hello."

Nagihiko stood. "We should give you time with your family. I'm glad you're doing better, Yaya." He smiled reassuringly. "It'll be okay. We can come visit later, if you'd like."

Yaya was busy watching Kairi, who refused to meet her probing eyes. "Hmm? Okay."

I smiled to myself. Ah, young love. Who would've thought the uptight nerd and the baby character would be a couple?

The eight of us walked out the room, me at the rear. Just before I closed the door, I heard Yaya's little brother say, "Onee-san, I have a bwunny-wabbit fwo you! His name is..."

* * *

A few nights later, Nagihiko and Tadase stood on either side of me, waiting for the short blonde one. The moonlight glimmered off the murky water in the fountain, dancing in fractured pieces across the surface. No surprise, the park in front of the hospital we had agreed to rendezvous at was empty but for the three of us. The trees ruffled softly in the late spring breeze. The playground we waited in was almost eerie; the swings creaked quietly and the merry-go-round was slowly spinning.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "She's late."

"Do you think she's all right?" Girly-Boy was concerned.

"She'll be here soon," Tadase tried to reassure him.

Bright, yellowish light appeared at the end of the street and splayed across the street in front of it. Slowly into view came a small black sudan, which pulled to a stop right in front of us. The car door opened, and Rima stepped out. Like the rest of us, she was dressed in black, with a skintight long sleeved shirt with a v-shaped neck and those black tight thingies—leggings?—with those ballet shoes. Ballet flats, that's it. She also carried a tote bag that looked like it was made out of canvas.

"Thanks, Dad." She closed the door and waved goodbye before turning to us with a sigh.

"You're late, commoner," Kiseki huffed.

"Shrimp." I nodded.

"Hello, Rima," Tadase said cheerfully.

Nagihiko smiled. "Hey, Rima."

Are we ready to go?" Tadase asked.

"Hold on a second." She rummaged around in her tote bag and pulled out four flashlights and handing them to each of us. "Just in case. LED flashlights. They're also Swiss Army Knives and safety whistles."

"Where did you get these?" Nagihiko inspected them. "These are pretty cool."

She shrugged. "My parents bought like ten of them for me."

"Why would you need ten of them?" I wondered.

"One for my purse, one in my room, three in both my parents' houses, and two for backup." She rolled her eyes. Kusukusu giggled.

Tadase laughed nervously. "That seems perhaps a little excessive."

"You think?"

Temari drew herself up to her full, terrifying height of three inches. "That pest shall intrude upon this city no longer!" A naginata appeared in her tiny hands. "Let's go!"

"Why don't we go down Grand Boulevard? We can choose were to go from there," Nagihiko said calmly.

"I suppose so." Rima tried to look indifferent, earning her quizzical look from Nagihiko and a stifled smile from both Tadase and I.

The four of us set off across the sidewalk and strode down the street, keeping a sharp watch in the piercing darkness.

"What's that?" Rima said sharply, catching a dark shadow in the corner of my eye.

"What?" The rest of us turned to see what she was looking at.

"It's a cat," I shrugged.

She growled in frustration. "Stupid monster's got me all paranoid."

"Yeah. It worries me too," Tadase gripped the flashlight in his hand a little tighter.

"We should keep moving," Nagihiko turned back to the street.

It was stressful work, constantly on edge and straining your senses to any sign of something gone wrong. Nighttime held no dangers for me, but with the monster on the loose, other people were a different matter entirely.

"So, Girly-Boy, Shrimp," I said casually. "You together yet?"

"NO!" Rima shrieked, cheeks flaming.

"O-Of course not!" Nagihiko raised his hands.

I smirked. "But you want to, right?"

"NO!"

"Never!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Are you sure?" I drawled. "Because it sure seems like that to me."

"Stupid, of course not," Rima grumbled. Nagihiko nodded fervently.

I chuckled. "If you say so."

"Wh—it's true! We don't like each other!"

"You know, the more you try to deny it, the more true it is," I said pleasantly.

"Ahh!" Rima crossed her arms and sulked. Nagihiko just walked beside her, utterly silent and pink in the face.

"So what about you, Little King?" I ruffled Tadase's head. "How's it with Nadeshiko?"

"What?" Tadase laughed and shook his head nervously. "I don't like Fujisaki-san! She and I are just friends!"

"Are you trying to say you're still not over my Amu?" I teased. "Because you know, she's mine."

"I—I—" Tadase was flustered.

"To be honest, you and Nadeshiko would make a cute couple," I said thoughtfully.

"I suppose," Nagihiko grumbled.

"Eh, you're just mad because our little king proved to be a good kisser. Don't be so protective."

Tadase sputtered, "What? I don't—"

"It's true," Rima agreed. "For once, Tsukiyomi is right. Didn't you see the sparks between those two? It was like, the second they kissed, fireworks exploded in the background. Only, they overdid it a little." Rima snickered. "Instead of a passionate kiss, it was more of a fiery make-out session."

Nagihiko gave Tadase a look. "Where did you even learn to kiss like that?"

"I was wondering about that." I studied Tadase, who was blushing and spluttering nonsense about how he and Fujisaki-san were just friends. "I doubt you'd have ever kissed Amu like that. But who knows? You've been acting a little differently ever since she came around."

"Yeah, suddenly you're best friends and you're hanging out all the time. We catch you whispering to each other. You're always around her. Heck, you grin and tease her, which is something I've never seen you do," Rima nodded. "Are you secretly dating her behind our backs?"

Nagihiko turned slowly to Tadase with a terrifying look on his face. "Are you? Because if you are, you better not hurt her..." He said threateningly, an unspoken _or else _hanging in the air.

Tadase sweat-dropped. "Ah, no. I'm not. We are, as I've said, just friends."

"Better be," Nagihiko muttered.

"Ah don't be such a hypocrite." I ruffled Girly-Boy's hair against his protests. "Don't say that your twin, who is the same age and level of maturity as you, can't have Little King for a boyfriend but you can date. It's unfair, see."

"I don't want to date Rima!" Nagihiko said hurriedly.

I grinned. "I didn't say Rima's name. But is that what who you were thinking of?"

"Ah!" Nagihiko gasped. "I didn't mean—I thought you meant—"

"It's all right." I patted his shoulder in mock sympathy. "You can tell her."

Nagihiko hid his face in his hands and mumbled something I couldn't hear.

'What's that?" I raised a hand to my ear. "Come again?"

Nagihiko shot a death-look at me so deadly that if looks could kill, I would now be a tiny pile of dust on the sidewalk.

The four of us continued to argue, the other three denying their obvious feelings. I had to admit, with three other blushing and stammering friends, it was rather fun patrolling even for such dark reasons.

* * *

_Not far behind the four teens, the forgotten cat hopped down from the wall and hit the ground gracefully with its paws. At first glance, the cat was normal, with pitch-black fur and a small, refined shape. Its eyes, however, were flat black; not a glimmer of light or color reflected from their depths. Its right paw was matted with a horrid smelling substance._

_Looking after the group, the cat turned and began to limp away, leaving a trail of sizzling blood that burned through the concrete like acid._

* * *

"_We don't have time for this!" Temari said impatiently. "There is a monster on the loose in Osaka! We need to find it and kill it!"_

_Rhythm nodded apologetically. "Romance between Nagi and Rima isn't highest priority."_

"_I can't have a monster attacking my subjects," Kiseki said imperiously. "Romance can wait. We failed with Yaya and Kairi, we can't make this any worse."_

_Kusukusu huffed. "Fine then. I'll do it myself."_

* * *

"So..." I looked at the other three. "It's been two hours. End of patrol."

"What now?" Rima wondered.

"Well, we can't exactly all just split up and go our separate ways," I said. "Not with the monster on the loose. At least one of us would probably be attacked."

"I live fairly close to you," Tadase told Nagihiko. "We could walk home together."

"You're not just saying that so you can see my sister, right?"

"No!" Tadase was exasperated. 'We're just friends!"

"Hm." Nagihiko was unconvinced. But Ikuto and Rima don't live anywhere near each other."

"I can drop Rima off at her house and then call Utau and have her come pick me up there."

"It'll have to do," Tadase said.

"Then, goodbye for now," Nagihiko said cheerfully. "Ikuto. See you later, Rima."

"Chara-Change!" Kusukusu giggled.

With a pop, a star and a teardrop appeared on Rima's cheeks. "Bala-Balance! Bala-Balance!" She laughed as she preformed her old favorite gag. Twirling in a circle with he arms perfectly position, she hopped around and giggled along with her guardian character.

"Ah..." The three of us looked at her strangely. "Rima?"

Rima popped back into her usual self just as she preformed a turn, causing her to stumble smack-dab into Nagihiko, who caught her in surprise. "Kusukusu!" She said frantically. "What did you do that for?"

"Are you okay?" Nagihiko asked.

Rima flushed and pushed him away, crossing her arms with a harrumph. "I'm fine."

"All right, all right." I began to walk away. "Come on, Shrimp. Kusukusu," I whispered to the little guardian character, smirking. "Nice job."

She snickered. "Kusukusukusu. All in a day's work!"

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	19. A Suspicious Disappearance?

**Hey! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Rima**

"So, Nade-chan," I said casually, readjusting my navy blue halter top and shorts. "How's it with Tadase?"

May 25, Yaya's birthday. Four weeks after she had been attacked. Having been released about three weeks ago from the hospital and had been perfectly fine and bouncy, except for whenever there was any whiff of Kairi, who was avoiding her. She had invited us to come watch a movie and her uncle's brother in law's cousin's movie theatre for free. Nadeshiko, Amu, Utau and I were standing off to the side outside the movie theatre, waiting for the guys to get tickets. Unfortunately, some of us wanted to see the new romantic comedy and others wanted to see a horror movie that had gotten great reviews.

"Hotori-kun?" Nade-chan looked confused. "Not much, why?"

"Well..." I nudged her arm playfully. "Do you like him?"

She rolled her eyes, toying with the red ribbon in her hair. "As if. He's just my friend, that's all."

"That's the same thing Yaya said right before she admitted to liking Kairi," Amu chuckled.

Nade-chan laughed. "Jeez, you guys are always trying to pair me up with him. We don't like each other like that, I know that much."

"It's true," Azumi said wisely. "I know how she feels about Tadase, and it's not that. And speaking of Yaya, where is she?"

Utau sighed, pulling up her black tube top. "My guess is she's looking for Kairi. How sad that he's the one who's hiding from her now. God, I wish they'd just hurry up and go out, it's weird to see them acting so weird."

"Yeah, what with Yaya being all shy and quiet around him, and he being so angry, it's not normal," Amu fretted.

"But seriously, is it really that big a deal?" I wondered. "I mean, really, why is it so difficult for them to just confess and go out?"

"I could ask the same of you, Rima," Nade-chan said slyly. "What's up with you and my brother?"

"Shut up," I mumbled, and she laughed. "We're just friends."

"At least you're friends now," Amu said consolingly.

"But she wants to be more than friends!" Kusukusu laughed.

"Don't say that so loud!" I said frantically, glancing nervously towards the movie ticket booth where Nagi, Tadase and Ikuto stood in line.

"Oh, relax, Rima," Utau said dismissively, flipping one of her long pigtails to the side. "There's no way he heard you."

"Miki, what's wrong?" Amu asked her guardian character.

The blue-loving artist glanced up absently. "Hmm? Oh, just thinking."

"What about?" I asked curiously.

Miki frowned. "Don't you think it's strange how this Dream thief just disappeared out of nowhere? I mean, at first X-Eggs are popping up everywhere. Then Yaya gets attacked, and suddenly it all stops? It's been weeks since she was attacked. Why isn't anything happening?"

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "Maybe attacking Yaya weakened the thing. Anyways, it's gone."

"But that's just it," Miki insisted. "I can't even sense the thing. It just disappeared out of nowhere."

"It's true," Ran agreed. "I haven't sensed anything so powerful, but now it's gone."

"A demon like that should leave a trace," Dia said wisely. "There should still be an aura left behind that fades over time, but when Yaya was attacked, there wasn't any."

"It has been a couple weeks," Utau said thoughtfully. "What if there was one, it was just faint, and now it's gone?"

"I guess..." The guardian characters still looked wary.

"We should still keep watch, just in case it comes back," Azumi told us.

"Hello!" We all turned to see Yaya bouncing up the steps in a white dress, smiling slightly. She came up to us, toying with the thick white straps and sliding a lacy purple bra strap onto her shoulder. "Such a beautiful day outside!"

"And the birthday girl is late!" Utau scolded her.

"Ah, sorry." Yaya put a hand behind her head sheepishly. "I, um, had a little trouble finding clothes in my closet."

"Yaya, are you wearing what I think you're wearing?" Amu looked incredulous, reaching out and fingering the strap that had slid down her shoulder.

"Is that lace I see?" Utau grinned.

"Hey!" Yaya flushed. "It was all I had! My mom is washing everything else!"

"And it's purple." I laughed. "Ooh, Kairi's gonna like this!"

"Shut up!" Yaya moaned. "It's all I had!"

"Do you have matching underwear, too?" I snickered as her cheeks turned an even brighter red. "I see. Maybe if Kairi's lucky, he'll get to see them, too."

"Kairi's going to see what?" Ikuto strode over and slid his arms around Amu from behind.

"Her underwear," Utau informed him gleefully. "She's wearing sexy, sexy lingerie."

"Oh, really?" Ikuto smirked. "But aren't we a little too young for such... kinky things?"

"What about kinkiness?" Nagihiko, Tadase and Kukai appeared.

"Yaya's finally going to hook up with Kairi," Ikuto chuckled. "She's wearing lingerie under that dress, boys."

"Yaya?!" Tadase was shocked. "But, I thought you wanted to stay abstinent!"

"Do you at least have protection?" Nagihiko asked in concern.

"IKUTO! Get off me!" Amu screeched.

Kukai shook his head frantically. "No, no! You're like my baby sister! You're not ready for this!"

"I'm not having sex with Kairi!" Yaya wailed.

"Excuse me?!"

The nine of us whirled around. There stood Kairi with a shocked expression on his face, dressed in a green polo shirt and jeans as usual. In one hand he held a small brown rectangular box with a white ribbon tied around it.

"Kairi!" Yaya stammered. "Hi!" He stared at her in shock, opening and closing his mouth.

"What the hell?" He finally managed to say.

"Um... I..." Yaya was at a loss for words.

Nade-chan rescued her. "She's wearing lingerie because her mom washed all her other underwear, so we were just teasing her."

"I see." I saw Kairi blush and gulp, avoiding looking at Yaya. "Okay."

"You'll just have to wait until later to undress her," Ikuto patted Kairi on the shoulder. "We really need to get into the theatre.

Kairi glanced once at Yaya, who just so happened to be pulling up her dress, as it had fallen low enough so as to reveal a tiny peek of lacy violet. His eyes widened, and he said quickly, "I need to use the restroom," dashing inside at top speed.

I smiled. "So far, your birthday's going well, right?"

Yaya blushed. "Let's just go into the movie theatre."

The nine of us headed into the theatre, pushing through the glass doors into the lobby. Ikuto led us off to the side on the red carpeted floors with tiny pieces of popcorn beneath our feet. "So, we have tickets to both _The Siren _and _Kissing Material. _So who's seeing what?"

"I want to see the horror movie," Utau said gleefully. "It's supposed to be pee-your-pants terrifying."

"And when you get scared, I'd like to be the one to protect you from the scary monsters." Kukai teased her.

"Is that a challenge?" Utau demanded. "Because if it is, you're gonna lose."

"You're on."

"I'd like to see the romantic comedy," Amu said hurriedly, casting a terrified look at the nearby display for the said horror movie.

"I'd like to see a horror movie for once," I said in interest.

Nagihiko smiled at me. "It does sound good, doesn't it?"

Kukai snorted. "You don't actually give a shit, Nagi, you just want to be with—" He stopped abruptly, for whatever reason, and gave a very un-Kukai-ish squeal of fear.

"I wanted to see the romantic comedy," Nadeshiko smiled. "What about you, Hotori-kun?"

"I'm not really a big fan of horror movies," He admitted. "And _Kissing Material_ does look pretty good."

"Aw, and I wanted to see the horror movie," Ikuto sighed.

"Then go see it," I said, mystified.

"But I want to be with Amu," Ikuto said innocently, giving Amu a mischievous wink.

"BAKA! GO WATCH YOUR STUPID HORROR MOVIE!" Amu yelled.

Kairi came up to us, clearing his throat. "I'm back. So, what movies have we decided upon?"

_"The Siren_ and _Kissing Material,"_ I informed him. "Horror or Romantic Comedy?"

"I don't mind horror movies," Kairi mused, inching away from Yaya.

_"The Siren_ sounds good," Yaya said quickly. Which was a total lie. I smirked at her, knowing full well she hated scary movies ever since she watched Nightmare on Elm Street with Kairi.

"...But it's been a while since I've seen a romantic comedy, so I'll watch Kissing Material."

Yaya's jaw dropped. "I—you—" She squeaked.

"Oh, the horror movie is starting now! Come on, whoever wants to see it follow me." Ikuto waved us in farewell. Utau and Kukai followed, dragging a teary Yaya along with them.

"Ahhh..." Yaya whimpered.

I hear Utau say to Ikuto and Kukai, "I'll buy the snacks" before dragging Yaya with her.

"We should get snacks too," Kairi said quietly.

I gave him a dirty look. "So, avoiding Yaya, now, are we? Pretty low, I have to admit. You know how scared she gets in horror movies."

Kairi's shoulders slumped. "I... I know. But I really messed up."

"What happened?" Nagi asked gently.

"Well... I dragged her into the boy's locker room, kissed her against her will, and then ran out of the room."

"Don't forget to add, 'avoiding her like she's got the plague'," I added.

"You like her, right, Kairi?" Amu asked. "Why is it so hard to just confess?"

"I don't just like her, I... I love her," Kairi said miserably. "And you should've seen the look on her face before I kissed her. Absolutely terrified. She doesn't love me back."

"But—"

"Let's go get those snacks. Why don't I get them, and you guys can head into the theatre and get seats?"

We were silent for a moment. "I'll have Twizzlers and a Blue Raspberry Icee," I said quietly.

Nagi sighed. "I'll have a water."

"A Coca-Cola Icee. Why don't we get an extra-large popcorn to share?"

"All right." Kairi nodded and turned away, walking over to the conscession stand.

I shook my heading disappointment. "Oh, wait! Tadase, Nade-chan, what do you—" I turned to see Tadase and Nadeshiko arguing fiercely.

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

"Oh, come on!" I complained. "It's the perfect opportunity to tell them! It'll just be us friends, and no one else. We'll all be together."

"No!" Hotori-kun said hotly. "It'll ruin Sakuramatsuri!"

"No, it won't!" I said in exasperation. "What other ideas do you have?" He was silent. "That's what I thought."

"Fujisaki-san, I need to come to terms with this," He said weakly. "You understand that, I know you do. Just... I need time."

I sighed. "I know, I know. But I know that you know that your friends could help you with that more than anyone else."

He gave me a sparkling smile. "You are my friend."

I threw him a dirty look. "Don't you sparkle-attack me. You know that doesn't work. And I'm right. And it's not polite to try and manipulate your friends like that."

He pouted, which was actually kind of cute, the way his lips pursed together and his eyes got all big. "I know. I'm sorry."

Wait, what?

I shook my head to clear it. Weird. "Anyways, my sparkle-attack is way better." I stuck my tongue out at him. "So there."

"It is? Really? Can I see it?"

"It's amazing. I—HEY! Don't try to change the subject! When are you going to—"

"Uh, hello?" I started, and remembered my friends. Rima was waving a hand in front of my face. "Earth to Nade-chan and Tadase. Kairi's at the concession stand. What do you want?"

"Vanilla ice cream and a water," Tadase and I both said immediately. Amu, Rima and my twin stared at us. "What?" I asked quizzically.

My brother blinked and shook his head. "...Nothing. Let's go get our seats."

* * *

The young actor on screen, in his mid-twenties, managed to pull off the "uptight and nerdy" character, even though with his ruffled light brown hair, vivid green eyes and quirky smile were very sexy. Somehow he managed to look as amazing in a mustard yellow t-shirt tucked into black high water trousers and large brown rectangular frame glasses. He was also slightly girlish, with his fringe-like eyelashes and soft lips, almost as feminine as his love interest.

His co-star was just as good. Her good looks rivaled his: large, electric blue eyes and long black hair that fell straight down to mid-back. She was thin with small curves, and a little gawky with her long arms and legs but short body. Her clothes were of course fashionable, but she managed to pull of the quirkiness of her character without trying too hard.

_"...and anyways, we should get back to work." The actor pushed up his glasses and began typing on his old computer. "We shouldn't waste any time."_

_The woman huffed in annoyance. "It's a simple question! Do you or do you not want to eat lunch with us? There's this really nice cafe down on Main Street, I think you'd really like it."_

_"I don't have time to eat outside of work. There's stuff to be done. I can't just‑hey!"_

_The actress had grabbed his arm and began dragging him off. "Come on! It'll be fun!"_

_"Nooo!" The actor escaped and scrambled away back to his desk, grabbing hold of the side wall cubicle and holding tight even as the other woman grabbed his other arm and pulled hard._

_"Let's‑-go!" The woman grunted._

White-hot flames erupted around Rima. "That's an old gag." Her eyes sparked. "This isn't funny at all."

Nagi sweat-dropped. "Calm down, Rima."

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She snapped. "Comedy is something to be taken seriously!" Kusukusu giggled.

"Shh!" Someone in front of us turned around and glared.

Rima huffed and crossed her arms, still surrounded by flames. Every so often she'd mutter things like "They're doing it wrong" and "They should've done a different gag, it would've been funnier".

"Rima, why don't we go watch the scary movie?" Nagi whispered, giving an apologetic smile to about every other person trying to watch the movie.

"Sure. It can't be worse than this," Rima stood and pushed her way out of the theatre, Nagi in tow.

* * *

_"You know, I thought that being roommates would give us a chance to work things out," The actress said, her voice cracking. "I thought we could be friends. But obviously that's not meant to be."_

_The actor looked guilty, but angry. "Fine. If you can't handle my rules, get out of my apartment."_

_"Fine!" She shouted, and stormed off in tears. The man watched her go, and then sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fists like a child._

I glanced to my left. Tadase was watching the screen, wearing a funny expression that looked kind of like a little puppy-dog. A corner of my mouth twitched up into a smile.

I looked at my other side and the smile slid off my face. Kairi watched the screen, utterly transfixed, his eyes wide with sadness and horror. The screen showed the woman with tears dripping down her face. Kairi stood suddenly, knocking the popcorn to the floor, and fled from the movie.

* * *

**Yaya**

I quivered in terror in my seat, staring transfixed at the screen. The woman on the screen had long, lank hair that dripped dark water onto the wet sand, covering her face with the black strands and falling down to her chest and hiding her breasts. She wore no clothes. Eerie music echoed in my ears. Pepe squealed and dived into one of my dress pockets.

The man, star of the movie, stood frozen, staring at the woman in half-terror, half wonder as she stood there, moving no closer and making not a single noise. I managed a single glance beside me, where Rima and Nagi both sat gleefully watching the movie, like they were actually excited to see what happened next.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For a single moment, you could see nothing but blackness. I stopped breathing. It was utterly, completely silent.

With a crash of panic-inducing music, the man opened his eyes only to see that the woman was right up close, close enough to touch him. Her face was still hidden by her hair, but she rose her head, and her hair fell back to reveal a thin, emaciated white face with translucent skin, wide black eyes and a thin, tiny nose almost invisible from her face. Worst of all was her mouth, where on either side of her mouth were long, jagged scars that gave her a permanent, terrible smile. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Ever so slowly, with hair-raising music, she opened her mouth in a wide grin, her eyes widening to the point that she had a look of insanity about her.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I stood and fled from the theatre, running out and collapsing on a nearby bench, breathing hard and fast. My eyes kept darting here and there. I was convinced that that woman was here in the theatre, following me, going to do something horrible like she was probably doing to that man.

"Yaya?" I jumped and looked around wildly, finally seeing Kairi standing in front of me.

"Kairi," I said, trying to keep the fear from my voice. "H-Hello. What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be watching a movie?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He crossed his arms, looking worried. "Were you scared?"

"A lady in need?" Musashi popped his head out of Kairi's shirt pocket.

"What? Scared? Me? Of course not!" I winced at my extremely high-pitching voice. Dang it.

"You were scared, weren't you?" He sat beside me on the bench and watched me intently. I stared right back, feeling my heart pound in my ears so loudly I was sure he could hear it. "Why did you watch it, if you get so scared?"

"I..." I had actually wanted to see the romantic comedy, but I wanted to get closer to Kairi, so when I thought he was going to choose the horror, I picked that one as well. Admittedly, I could have just switched, but I was too proud to do that, so I stuck with the horror. Actually, it was a miracle that I'd managed to get through over half of the movie. "Well, why are you not watching the romantic comedy?"

Kairi didn't say anything. "Yaya," He said finally. "I have to talk to you about something."

Ah! I had my chance! Finally, I could tell him I love him. Everything was suddenly bright and cheerful again. I gave him a cheery smile. "Really? Me too! But, you go first."

He took a deep breath. "Yaya... in the locker room the other day... I realized something."

"Oh." I blushed. "Yes?"

He closed his eyes. "I understand how you feel now."

"Really?" I looked at him with wide eyes. "You really, really, do?" I felt my heart soar like a bird.

"Yes. And I promise, I'll never do anything like that again."

And... a hunter just shot my heart out of the sky. "What?"

He turned to face me, giving me a smile that was obviously forced. "I won't ever put you in a position like that. It was wrong of me. We can go back to being just friends."

"Kairi?" I said weakly.

"Don't worry," He whispered. "I won't ever touch you again." He got to his feet, and placed a brown box in my hands. "Your present." He began to walk away. "I'll see you after the movies. I... have to go do something."

I jumped up, box still in hand. "Kairi, wait!"

He turned for a brief second, and I just caught sight of his expression. His face was filled with devastation, and hopelessness. Then he turned away. "Happy birthday, Yaya," He said, his voice cracking.

And he was gone.

I collapsed back onto the bench, feeling empty. I looked down at the little brown box and slowly lifted off the top. Inside the box lay a necklace. The pendant was a tiny red bow made of glittering jewels and sterling silver.

I fell back against the wall and stared blankly at the ceiling, still clutching the ruby necklace in my fingers.

* * *

**Amu**

At three-thirty we got out of the movie and met up with the rest of our friends outside the theatre, ready to shop. "That was so romantic!" I gushed. "I loved it!"

Rima scoffed. "Maybe, but the comedy wasn't as good."

"Really?" Nade wondered. "I thought it was pretty damn funny!"

Yaya chuckled. "Rima's just a comedy freak. If it's not perfect, it's not funny!"

"Isn't that how all comedy should be?" Rima argued. "If it's not done right, then it sucks!"

"Anyways, how was the scary movie?" Utau asked the others. "Was it goood?"

"Absolutely terrifying," Rima said gleefully. Nagi nodded. "It's been so long since I was scared like that."

"What was it about?" Tadase asked. "I probably won't watch it, so I don't mind if you spoil it for me."

"Well, there's a man , a writer, who moves to an old town on the coast of Ireland. He moves into a really old, really big house for really cheap, which is weird because it's so huge and so beautiful." Nagihiko began the story.

" He learns from the townspeople that the house is rumored to be visited by a spirit every night. The ghost is supposedly a woman who died under mysterious circumstances, and comes back every night and finds some way to lure you to the beach. That one way or another, even if you know the story and know that you're not supposed to go outside, you do, and she pulls you underwater and drowns you. They warn him to stay away, to move somewhere else, even if it's just on the other side of town. They tell him that this way he'll be safe like the rest of them.

"But, obviously, he doesn't listen, because he's curious and he doesn't believe in ghosts. So he stays there to find out more about this supposed ghost. The man learns that the woman, whose name is Deirdre, had married a cruel man and raised her three children, Niamh, Aideen, and Sile. The man, although terrible, was clever and crafty at times, beating his children and then his wife when she ran to protect them in places that would not show.

"One night, the last night, he came home, and in a fit of drunken rage, raped his eldest daughter, Niamh, and stabbed her in the chest with a knife. After sobering, he realized what he had done and threw her body into the ocean, erasing all evidence of his crime. The second daughter, Aideen, had witnessed the deed and told her mother, who was horrified. Deirdre and her remaining daughters mourned Niamh and planned to escape. The father learns and does the same to his second daughter and ties her to a rock with her still-alive mother and throws them into the ocean. To Deirdre, he slashes the sides of her mouth open in a gruesome permanent smile. The last daughter escapes, and is never heard from again.

"The next night, when the father is alone at home, Deirdre returns from the ocean and calls out to the father on the beach, begging him to come outside. When he did so, she grabbed him and dragged him screaming into the water where she pushed him under and held him there until he drowned.

About halfway through, Deirdre comes for the new owner of her old house and tries to drown him. After failing another time, she enters her old house eventually drives him insane with fear and he gets locked up in a mental institute. It ends with the man whispering, "She's coming... she's coming." and a new owners in the house kissing their daughter good night, and when the little girl goes to sleep, you see her reflection in the mirror and Deirdre leaning over her, and the screen goes black and you hear the little girl scream."

Yaya shuddered. "It was terrible. I'm going to have nightmares."

"Then why did you watch it?" Rima demanded.

Utau sighed and leaned to whisper in Yaya's ear, just loud enough for me to hear but too quiet for anyone else. "You could've just switched to ours to be with Kairi, you know."

"I know, I know, I just..." She shifted uncomfortably.

I smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Yaya. You two will work it out. I'm sure of it."

"Hey, we should get to shopping," Nadeshiko interrupted. Yaya threw her a grateful glance.

"Do we absolutely have to go shopping?" Kukai asked anxiously.

Utau laughed. "You can do something else, if you can't handle it. I mean, obviously we girls are equipped to handle this, but you boys on the other hand..."

Nagihiko chuckled. "Do I detect a challenge?"

"I think so, Nagihiko," Kukai replied. "Boys, what do you think?"

"I don't mind," Tadase piped up.

Ikuto smirked. "Let's make it a bet. We win, you all have to be our personal slaves. What say you, Kairi?"

"That sounds fine," Kairi said quietly. "And if the girls win?"

Rima's eyes flashed. "You're our slaves. First one to leave the mall loses. You have to either be window shopping, browsing, or actually buying something, you can't just walk around and do nothing."

Kukai gave a raucous laugh. "You're on!"

The nine of us raced down the streets in the outdoor mall (well, more like Ikuto, Kukai and Nagihiko dragged Tadase and Kairi along behind them to a Nike store, and Rima, Utau and Nadeshiko dragged Yaya and I away down the nearest street.)

"So where to?" Nadeshiko asked.

"I think there's a Forever 21 nearby," Utau called.

On entering the shop, my eyes were immediately drawn to a section filled with neon and black clothing. "Kawaii," I gushed, and sped up, grabbing a skin-tight leather jacket with metallic zipper pockets.

Utau, ever classy, plucked a white strapless dress with embroidered red plum blossom branches trailing down the sweetheart neckline and tight bodice, twining around the flaring mid-thigh skirt. "This is really cute. It'll go with my tan booties really well."

Yaya giggled as she held up a baby pink blouse made of lace. "Imma go try this on!"

"I like it! It's so babyish!" I heard Pepe say as Yaya dashed away.

Rima snatched a black babydoll top and a fitted white faux-fur vest. "I'll go check these out." Kusukusu giggled.

I found Nadeshiko rifling, half buried, in the clearance bin. "Do you need help, Nade-chan?"

"Ahh, I don't really see anything that catches my eye." She sat back and sighed.

"Don't worry! They have other shops here!" Ran said encouragingly.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I can help you look."

"Eh, that's all right. Let's go check out the others." The two of us sat down and waited in chairs right outside the dressing rooms.

Rima appeared first. She looked freaking adorable in the babydoll top, complimenting her delicate shape and height, the vest adding a touch of glam. She wore her own dark shorts and ballet flats.

"Kawaii!" I told her.

Miki nodded appreciatively. "Worthy of my approval."

Rima made a face. "I don't like this style. I'm not much of a goth-punk girl."

"Hey!" I said indignantly. "I'm goth-punk!"

She giggled. "I know."

"Hmm. Do you like Alba Rosa, Rima?" Nadeshiko stared at her with piercing eyes.

Rima nodded in surprise. "Yes. How did you know?"

Nadeshiko smiled mysteriously. "I just spot a lot of things other people miss."

Utau slipped out of her dressing stall and stepped in front of us, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "So?"

"Pretty~desu," Suu complimented. She really was. The dress fit in all the places, accentuating her curves.

"Sweet and sexy, is that what you were aiming for?"

"Yep. Gonna wear it to the Cherry Blossom Festival in two weeks."

"You'll be glowing," Dia said warmly.

Rima grinned mischievously. "Be careful around Kukai in that. You don't want to break that 'waiting' promise, now do you?"

Utau rolled her eyes. 'We'll have sex when we're ready."

"Oh, he'll be _very_ ready when he sees you in that," Rima said suggestively.

"At least I'm willing to admit that I wear provocative things just to turn my guy on, _Rima,"_ Utau shot back. "Don't try to pretend that last trip to the mall for Tadase's birthday wasn't for Nagihiko."

Rima blushed. "Maybe."

Yaya burst out and posed. "Whaddya think?"

"Pepe likes this~dechu!" Pepe declared.

"I'd throw in dark shorts, old-fashioned jewelry, and champagne-colored ballet flats," Miki advised her.

"Something both you _and_ Kairi would like," Nadeshiko said slyly.

Yaya turned red. "W-Well, it's an added bonus," Yaya mumbled.

* * *

_Far, far away from the ten teenagers, a black crow flew across the sky in the mid-day sun, careful to fly in the shadows. It went unnoticed among the laughing, chattering people past, farther and farther away from the noise, across into the darker part of the city There teenagers sat in the alleys, hidden from the streets, where children rushed into their houses, glancing around them several times, just in case. Here, where the crow's true self had made a nest._

_Landing silently in the shadows next to a sleeping dog, the crow gave a loud, hoarse cry. The dog immediately sat up, yelping in pain as the light of light fled from its eyes, and it fell back to the ground, dead._

* * *

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	20. Your STUPID Banana Shaped Feet!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nagihiko**

I leaned down and retied the laces to the bright yellow basketball shoes I was trying on. "Comfy."

Ikuto shrugged. "If you like 'em, get em."

"Nike's better than Reebok, anyways," Kukai commented, a box already in his hands.

Tadase and Kairi looked lost. (Well, Tadase looked lost and Kairi just looked sad.) "What's up?" I asked.

"I don't play any sports. It feels strange to be in here," Tadase mumbled. "But my shoes are falling apart."

"Would you actually wear any of these shoes?" I wondered. "I've never seen you wear anything that wasn't at least semi-formal. Do you even have anything unformal?"

Tadase thought for a moment, and then picked up a pair of black mandles off a shelf. "What about these? Can I wear socks with these?"

I sweat-dropped. "You have no taste in shoes."

Ikuto sighed. "Maybe you'd be better off with Converse or something."

As it turned out, he walked like a penguin in the Converse, fell flat on his face the very first step he took in the DC shoes, and made an utter fool of himself in every other brand we found.

"How about Adidas?" Kukai said wearily, shoving a box of pure white Adidas shoes into Tadase's hands.

"You know, I can wait to get new shoes," Tadase repeated for the fiftieth time. He quieted after we gave him looks that said, _'Shut the hell up. We are finding shoes for you whether you like it or not.'_

"Just put them on," Ikuto remarked crossly. "Jesus, boy, your feet might as well be banana shaped."

"I'm sorry," Tadase bowed his head meekly, sliding his feet into the new pair. "These are nice."

"You've said that about the last fifteen pairs," I sighed. "How do they feel?"

He stood and walked from one end of the store to the other. "They're nice I mean, they're comfortable," Tadase said quickly. "They fit well."

"Good. We're getting them." Ikuto forced him to sit back down, ripped the shoes off his feet, stuffed them back into the box and paid for them up front.

"Thank you," Tadase said cheerfully to Ikuto. "I'll pay you back, I promise."

"You're such a goody-two shoes," Kukai harrumphed. "It's normal for people to speak what they're feeling and do what they want without caring whether or not it hurts other people."

"Don't scold the king!" Kiseki roared.

"But, but, shouldn't you care about what others say and do?" Tadase asked weakly.

"Well, yeah, but not so much that it makes you unhappy trying to keep others happy all the time! Now, tell me. and be honest here. Are you happy holding everything in?" Kukai glared at him.

Tadase's eyes darkened. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles went white. I watched, astonished, as his shoulders shook with rage. For the first time since I'd met Tadase, he was truly, purely angry. "Shut. Up."

"Ah... Tadase?" Kiseki was stunned.

"Well, this is awkward," Rhythm muttered in my ear.

"Hey, guys!" The five of us looked up to see the girls coming towards us, holding at least one shopping bag in each hand.

"Hey, we're done," Amu panted, hefting three bags in her grip.

Utau grinned. Being a singer, she was (unfairly) fit and therefore held every single one of her five shopping bags with ease. I do believe we win."

Kukai was taken aback. "What? No, you didn't. You stopped shopping before we did. It must've taken you longer to walk here, so you finished shopping before us."

"But you're just loitering around," Utau pointed out.

Ikuto snorted. "We suffered more. Fujisaki, your boyfriend might as well have banana-shaped feet."

"My boyfriend?" Nade-chan looked confused. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, you do, Queenie. Your King, Tadase. Anyways, we went through about fifteen different stores just trying to find your shoes." He glanced back at Tadase, who glared at him, still angry. "Ah..."

"Tadase?" Amu asked curiously. "Is something wrong?"

Nadeshiko sighed. "Hey, it's been a long day. Why don't we get back to Yaya's house?"

Yaya nodded, eyes fixed on Kairi, who was avoiding her prying eyes. "Yeah! I've got a couple movies. And candy! Lots of candy."

"Hey, why don't we take my car?" Utau suggested. "It'll fit all of us."

"Then lead us to this car, commoner!" Kiseki ordered.

"It's kinda far, but it's worth it," Utau shrugged.

"We can do it!" Ran waved her pom-poms frantically. "Let's go! Do your best!" She turned to see Daichi starin at her. "What?"

A faint, unnoticable blush just tinged his cheeks. "Nothing. I bet I can beat you to Utau's car."

"You're on!"

* * *

_The dog rose to its feet, a black ink sliding over its eyes, and stepped out of the alley into the dazzling sunshine. Then it bounded off out of sight._

* * *

**Kairi**

"Dude, stop banging your head against the car," Ikuto bumped my arm.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, rubbing my forehead.

"Why were you hurting yourself?" Kukai wondered.

Nagihiko glanced at me, the last remnants of a happy smile on his face. Damn him. "Probably yelling at himself because he thinks he's an idiot."

"I am an idiot," I said miserably. "Why on earth did I even give her that stupid present?"

"Stop being an angst-ridden teenager," Musashi hit me hard on the head with the butt of his sword. "You spent weeks saving up the money to buy that necklace, and you gave it to her. She was wearing it. If she wasn't then she isn't worth your time."

"Yaya? You gave her something expensive? What was it?" Tadase inquired.

I put my head in my hands. "A necklace with a little red bow on it," I said in an undertone. "Made of little red gemstones."

"What kind?" Ikuto questioned, looking slightly wary.

I shrugged. "Rhinestones. I couldn't afford more."

Kukai laughed in disbelief. "You bought Yaya a necklace?"

"I kind of got... carried away," I looked up at him with a wretched expression. "I didn't mean to, I just..."

"Yeah. Maybe just a little." Ikuto tutted me. "You should've made up with her first. Musashi's right. Besides, being angst-ridden was never your calling."

"You guys should make up," Nagihiko advised. "It's not natural seeing you two fighting."

"It's not natural seeing you and Rima getting along!" I threw back.

Nagihiko chuckled. "But we're friends now." He smiled dreamily. "And she even hugged me when we left... OW!"

Temari whacked him on the head. "Stop being a weirdo!" She said furiously.

Nagihiko looked at his guardian character, rubbing the back of his head resentfully. "What? We're friends. I'm happy. I think she's happy. It's good."

Rhythm settled on his shoulder. "Aren't you going to go for it?"

"No. We're just friends. Plus, I'm not even sure whether or not she even likes me."

Kukai shrugged. "I wasn't sure if Utau liked me, and we've been happily going out for a long time. In fact," He added, grinning, "it's almost our anniversary!"

The rest of us gave him a dirty look. "Yeah, yeah, you're happy in your relationship. Now shut up," Ikuto, aggravated.

"What? But, you and Amu seem happy!" Tadase demurred.

Ikuto sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore. I mean, fist she's texting me and calling me and everything feels good except I'm not actually with her, and we're not even officially dating. And then when I get here, she seems all distant. Chicks, man, I mean, come on."

"Well, you have a date planned, right?" Taase said cheerfully. "I'm sure everything will go fine!"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow. (Ha! I can do that!) "Well, you seem certainly enthusiastic about us. Could it be perhaps that you are over Amu?"

Tadase lowered his head. "To be honest, I don't really know. I mean, for some reason, as of late, it's been a lot easier to be around Amu. I don't know why, though."

We stared at him. "...You're kidding, right?"

Tadase looked at us. "What?"

Ikuto rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. It started almost two months ago."

Tadase thought for a moment. "Mmm... yeah, I'd say so. I wonder what changed?"

"That's when Nadeshiko showed up," Kukai hinted.

Tadase smiled. "Oh, yeah. Gee, I never would've thought Nagihiko had a long-lost twin. But, Fujisaki-san's a good friend."

"So, ever since Nadeshiko-san showed up, your feelings for Amu have been getting smaller," I nudged.

"I guess you're right." Tadase was surprised. "What a strange coincidence. Oh-! Ikuto! Why are you banging your head against the wall?!"

* * *

**Utau**

It was 11:37 pm, close to midnight. The boys were long gone, Yaya's parents having kicked them out in order to "protect our innocence". After sitting around and talking, eating (snacking on candy) and messing around like kids, we were way too hyped up to go to sleep in her living room, even though Yaya's parents were scolding us and saying that we had school in the morning.

"I still can't believe you brought a freaking limo," Rima grumbled. "For a star, you suck at fitting in."

I laughed. "Get used to it. Nagihiko _owns_, like, _two._ And as he's your future husband..."

"Shut up."

"So, you're treating my brother well, right, Amu?" I asked.

Amu turned a brilliant shade of pink. "W-What? I-I don't-we're not even officially-I..." She trailed off. "We're all right," She said reluctantly. "But, why do you want to know?"

"He's my brother." I said nonchalantly. "So naturally I'd be concerned. How far have you guys gone?"

"What?!" Amu blushed. "We're not even official! I'm not even sure if we're dating!"

"Hmm… And I assume that you know that if you hurt him..." I left her to imagine what I'd do to her.

"I get the strangest feeling this has happened before," Nadeshiko muttered.

Yaya snuggled down into her sleeping bag. "Today was so fun! I can't wait till next year!"

"Well, duh," I laughed. "You get to watch movies, go shopping, hang with your buddies, have them sleep over, and get awesome presents? Most of which are candy. Only thing that's missing is Kairi here to ravish you in your lingerie."

"Shut up!" Yaya moaned. "Ah, and the look on his face when he heard it all, too..."

"Hey, that's really pretty!" Amu crawled over to Yaya to take a closer look at a silver necklace with a tiny red jewel-encrusted bow around her neck. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear this before. Where'd you get it?"

The happy smile on Yaya's face flickered, and she seemed to sag. "Kairi gave it to me. For my birthday."

"Kairi got you a necklace?" I laughed and grabbed her shoulders. "That's great!

... Why aren't you smiling?"

"I never told you guys what happened," Yaya said quietly. "I guess I should, though..."

"Kairi said you kissed in the boy's locker room," Rima said softly. "Is that true?"

Yaya rubbed her eyes tiredly. "It actually started before the play, when we were handing out flyers. Afterwards, I tried to hurry to Seiyo where we were going to meet, and he caught up to me. I thought he figured out that I liked him. And then at the swim meet, I was still avoiding him, but somehow he found out I was there, and-"

"-and when you saw him coming, you ran," Nadeshiko looked at her pityingly. "That's why you ran, wasn't it?"

Yaya nodded miserably. "I tried to escape, but he trapped me in the boys' locker room and demanded that I tell him the truth. And... then he kissed me, and then he apologized and ran away. He hasn't talked to me since then."

"He's convinced that you don't feel the same way," Rima told her. "Stupid idiot."

She buried her face into her pillow. "What do I do? He keeps avoiding me. I don't have any chance."

Nade-chan sighed. "We can figure this out later. We're all pretty tired, we should get to sleep. We can think clearly when we're well-rested."

"Night."

"Sleep tight, guys."

I stared up at the ceiling. Something was wiggling at the back of my mind, like an faint itch I couldn't scratch. Some unknown thing was bugging me, but what?

I rolled over and closed my eyes. Something told me from the pregnant silence that I wasn't the only one lying awake.

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

_"Gahh! I don't understand this at all!" I tossed my pencil away and threw my arms over my face. An annoying buzzing noise scratched at my ears._

_"Here, I'll help you," Hisashi said patiently. "You know you can do this. Remember, you're fluent at writing English, you just need help with physically speaking it. What do you need help with?"_

_"What's this word?" I demanded._

_'Sound it out," He instructed._

_"Cuh...Huh... Chuh...Ah...Er...Ter...eh...us...eh? Chartreooseh? Wait, the 'ch' isn't right, and the 'e' at the end should be silent... Shar-troos?"_

_"Good!" Hisashi grinned and pecked me on the lips. "A reward."_

_"I think my reward should be bigger than that," I grumbled._

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep..._

* * *

I sat up straight eyes searching wildly around the room. The dream-no, memory-had been so vivid, so real, I was sure that he was here.

It was utterly silent. Judging by the slow breathing and snores, my friends were all asleep.

My new cell phone was buzzing frantically in my bag, and I ripped my duffel open and fumbled with it. _Stupid technology, waking me up at three in the morning..._

Hotori-kun's voice rasped through the earpiece. **"You awake?"**

I sighed. What was he doing up so early? "What's up?" I whispered, casting a wary eye at my friends.

**"Can you come outside for a second?"**

_What does he need me for?_ I screamed inside my head. "Sure, just give me a sec."

I slid as quietly as possible out of my sleeping back, pulling down my black camisole and shorts. The front door was a few dozen feet away. I could make it, if I used my skills.

Yaya shifted and muttered. I froze, staring at her, before she rolled over and into her pink body pillow. I sighed in relief, and leapt over Utau and Amu's snoring bodies, reaching the door and moving it slowly so it wouldn't creak.

There outside, sitting alone on Yaya's front doorstep, was Tadase, still dressed in the same white collared t-shirt and dark jeans he'd worn earlier today. "Hey."

"Hey. What's up?" I settled on the step next to him.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I... I don't even know anymore. Me being... bi, I just... I know there's nothing wrong with it, but I feel... ashamed. Like I did something really bad. Does that even make any sense?"

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I get what you mean. And... I'd guess you're feeling ashamed both of being bisexual, and you're ashamed of feeling so ashamed."

"Exactly. And... Geez, Kukai said something earlier today. That's why I was so mad. I don't think he knows, but he said, 'aren't you tired of holding it in?'" His eyes met mine. "Thank you, by the way. For doing what you did."

I thought back to earlier, trying to distract everyone while Tadase was angry. "It wasn't really anything."

He hunched over his knees. "It's so... confusing. I mean, my friends just say these things, and they don't even realize what's going through my head when I say that. Even my classmates at school, everyone jokes or throws around these comments about people like me, and I want to tell them, but I can't. I really do want to tell everybody, I just... something holds me back from doing it."

"Maybe, could it be that you're afraid of what they'd think?" I thought back. "I knew a lesbian girl once. Her name was Kiyoko. When she came out, some people came up to her and told her was brave for coming out. But there were a lot of others that ignored her or avoided her. They looked at her like she was a monster." I shook my head in disgust. "She wasn't any different from the rest of us. It was like everyone had forgotten that she was still the same girl. And then others, they 'tolerated' her. Like being lesbian was a fault, was something bad that you could work around it."

"Do you know if she's okay?" Hotori-kun asked in concern.

"She and some of her friends that still hung around her were a little worried that maybe someone would attack her now because she came out. Just in case, she started taking self-defense lessons. I remember always sticking up for her. She got really good at self defense, and she taught me..." I trailed off, lost in old memories. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Self defense..." Hotori-kun looked off into the distance. "Maybe... maybe I should start taking those. Just in case."

I smiled. "I could teach you them, if you'd like."

"I'd like that." Tadase turned and smiled at me. "Why is it so easy to talk to you?"

I shrugged. "I didn't even know I was."

"You are." He laughed and shook his head. "I've only known you for almost two months, and I feel like you know me better than anyone."

"Really? Me, too." I cocked my head to the side, thinking. "Huh."

We watched each other for a long time. He really did have a sort of femininity to him, with his long, silky light blonde hair, large red-violet eyes and soft lips. Yet, he also had a sort of masculinity to him, a strength in the way he held himself, expressed his emotions. There was a kind of maturity with a slight tinge of sadness that, I realized, was all-too familiar to my own.

I felt his breath on my lips and blinked, then realized my face was barely a millimeter from him. What the heck? "Oh." I felt heat creep into my cheeks. "Sorry."

"Um. So, I should probably be getting back home." Tadase and I both stood hastily and brushed off our clothes. "So..." He hesitated, clearing his throat and holding out his hand, before seeming to think better of it. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." I watched him walk off into the distance, feeling dazed, for whatever reason. Probably from standing up too fast.

* * *

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	21. Kukai Loses Another Contest!

**Hey! It's Sylph Dancer!**

** I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!, My Heartful Song or Nana Mizuki. I did, however, create Crossing the Lines. Also, apologies to Raspberry Enemia, if there really is a band out there called that.**

* * *

**Kukai**

"Ah! It's five! I'm gonna be late!" I dashed to the door and flung it open, throwing on my best hoodie over my shirt. Tonight was a big night, I couldn't be late.

"Make sure to call, Kukai!" My mother called after me.

"See you later!" I jammed my feet into my brand new shoes and began to run at top speed, out of the neighborhood and down the streets, panting with exertion. I sprinted headlong into a nearby alleyway and began banging on a thick metal door. "HEYYYY!"

A young man, probably a couople years older than I, peeked out the doorway. "Who's there?"

"Hey, it's me. I—"

"Password?"

"Dude, open up. You know who I am."

"Password?" He insisted.

I sighed. "Crossing the Lines."

"Good. Come on in, Souma-san."

"Kukai. You're late." Yukari Sanjou-Nikaidou stood in front of me, crossing her arms and giving me the typical tapping-your-foot-in-annoyance-because-you-have-more-important-things-to-be-doing pose. "She's waiting on stage behind the curtain. You have..." She checked her watch. "Five minutes."

"Thanks, Yukari-san!" I sped away from her.

"Call me Sanjou-san!" She said crossly.

Utau was indeed standing on stage. She looked beautiful even in the shadows. I could just see an outline of a long billowy white dress. Her trademark pigtails were braided with leather cords. "Kukai! You're here!" I saw her smile. "Thank goodness."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, babe." I leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "You ready?"

"When would I ever not be ready?" She laughed. "Oh, it's almost time." She shooed me away. "I'll meet you after I'm done with the concert."

"Good luck!" I sped off stage, just in time to see the opening act, Raspberry Anemia, troop off stage watch the curtain begin to rise.

Immediately the crowd went absolutely wild when Utau began to sing, her clear voice ringing out into the theatre.

"Hello, Osaka! Are you ready?" I hear her yell into the microphone. A roar filled the stadium. Think just over 800 people in a sold-out concert. "Get ready to hear old meet new! Let's see if you can remember these!"

**"In the empty stage  
****the curtain has already fallen on my time for dreams.  
****Just like yesterday, tomorrow will  
****not come again…I've realized it…  
****The last scene is always painful and beautiful, but  
****I'll wipe my tears and knock on this door!**

**"I'll change into a brand new me!  
****I bring out my courage  
****without being ashamed!  
****My Heartful Song  
****My Heartful Song  
****I will always sing  
****so that it'll reach you!**

**"I wonder since when did I stop showing my true smile,  
****don't give up on me, you've waited for me!  
**

**"I brought up the shield of loneliness and fought myself,  
****but now I release my chains of deceit.**

**"The affection in my nostalgic memories  
****opened my eyes and  
****I've become more honest!  
****My Heartful Song  
****My Heartful Song  
****I open my heart!**

**"Today,  
****I'll change into a brand new me!  
****I bring out my courage  
****and continue to shine!  
****My Heartful Song  
****My Heartful Song  
****I will always sing  
****so that it'll reach you!"**

Utau bowed. "So glad you guys remember that song! Now, My Heartful Song meets my new single, Crossing the Lines!"

_"Love is such a hard habit to break  
__Even when it's your own heart that's at stake  
__Trying to erase your face from my mind  
__Run from this love till it's far behind"_

The light shone onto her skin and illuminated her with a golden glow. I smiled, then slid a hand inside my hoodie pocket and felt around, trying to find the object I planned to give her.

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__If only your heart were mine  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__I'd give you up if only I knew how"_

My hand closed on what I was seeking, and I pulled it out, stepping off out of sight in case someone managed to glimpse it.

_"I thought that I'd kept myself safe  
__Throw up the walls and lock all the gates  
__How did you manage to get through  
__And make me fall in love with you?"_

I held up the little black box up to eye level, feeling a rush of excitement surge into my chest.

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__If only your heart were mine  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__I'd give you up if only I knew how"_

"Tonight''s the night," I said to myself, grinning at her on stage, and let the rest of her song flow inside my head.

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__I wish I could leave this behind  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__Emotions once tied up, unwound"_

_"You're the exception, you're inside my head  
__I can't try to think, all my common sense is dead  
__I lost my own heart and I know it'll crack  
__Already it's broken, you don't love me back_

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__If only your heart were mine  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__I'd give you up if only I knew how_

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__I wish I could leave this behind  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__Emotions once tied up, unwound_

_"Oh, crossing the lines  
__If only your heart were mine  
__Oh, it's too late now  
__I'd give you up if only I knew how_

_"I'd give you up if only I knew how..."_

* * *

I tried not to watch in both horror and fascination as Yukari-san and her husband Nikaidou made out. It looked like they were eating each others' faces.

"Uh..." I inched forward and tapped on Yukari-san's shoulder, trying to ask them to maybe get a room or something.

She broke away, panting, and snapped, "WHAT?!"

"Never mind," I mumbled.

Nikaidou leaned and whispered in her ear. Immediately she went red and shoved him away, muttering. He chuckled.

"Ah!" Utau panted, throwing herself into her chair and panting. "That was amazing! I can't believe I lasted three hours singing songs."

I tossed her a waterbottle. "You were great."

She snorted. "Thanks for the tip."

"You were." I grinned and kissed her forehead. "Ooh, you taste all sweaty."

"Shut up. I'm hungry."

"Then let us go eat ramen." I held out a hand, and she took it. "I bet I can beat you again."

"You're on."

"Wait!" Sanjou-san leapt forward. "Put these on!" She shoved a pair of dark sunglasses and a white hat into her hand.

Utau sweat-dropped. "It's eight o'clock. How am I supposed to see with these on?"

"Just wear them!" Sanjou-san said crossly. "Or do you want a repeat of last time?"

"Fine," Utau grumbled, snatching them from her hand and jamming the hat over her head, tucking her hair into the hat and sliding on the glasses.

Sanjou-san inspected her with satisfaction. "Perfect. I'm off to eat dinner!"

"Come on, Idol!" I pulled her out into the cooling night air. "Let's go eat ramen!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I was groaning in pain, gripping my stomach with seven empty bowls and one half-finished bowl of ramen in front of me. Utau had finished all eight of her huge bowls and was shouting triumphantly. The locals of our favorite shop were laughing and cheering her.

"I won!" Utau laughed, raising her arms into the air. "This night just got a million times better!"

"Yeah, I get it," I clutched my stomach. "You won. Congratulations."

The manager, who was watching from the sidelines, laughed and came up to us. "You two are my favorite customers. You always get so many bowls of ramen, and you always come back. Helps keep my store in business."

"You're welcome," I told him. "Now if you don't mind, I think we should get going. I need to find a better place where I can be in pain in peace."

He shook his head. "Utau-chan has beaten you in every match fo the past month. Shouldn't you be used to this by now?"

"Shut up, Hisato-san." I slapped some money down on the counter.

Utau giggled. "Let's go."

I got to my feet, grumbled and hobbling out of the restaurant with her. "How did you even manage to consume so much food?"

"I spent, like, three hours on stage and only got an energy bar at the very beginning. You're lucky I wasn't feeling hungry for more."

I felt something compact bump against my coat pocket. "hey, can we go to that old park?"

"You mean, the swings?" Utau asked in surprise. "Good idea." She slipped her hand into mine. "It is our anniversary, after all."

"Good memories there." I looked at her. "Remember when we first started dating?"

"Ah, you were such a kid then," She teased. "And obnoxious, too. Just flat-out kissed me so I would stop calling you a kid. You hit my teeth too."

"It was my first kiss," I sighed. "And I gave it to you..."

"Hey! I'm an awesome kisser. Don't you forget it."

"Although, the first time I kissed you, you froze up."

"Baka." She conked me on the head. "You surprised me. And even then, I kissed better than you."

I smirked and leaned downward. "Do you doubt my kissing skills? Because, I can fix that."

She flushed. "We're in public. Wait till we get to the stupid park."

"Then can I prove that I'm a perfectly good kisser?" I chuckled.

"Baka," She repeated. "Let's go."

She dragged me through the city, which was of course abuzz about Utau's concert, past the familiar water fountain and crossing the boulevard hurriedly into the old park. The old trees, plum, peach, and cherry, were gnarled, but the peach blossoms were losing their petals; the white-dusted plum blossoms had been gone for a while and the trees were already their beautiful and strange velvet red shade. The cherry blossoms, however, were already beginning to sprout a few buds that would soon grow to thousands, and bloom in a few weeks for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

The two of us walked through the playground, where the swings moved slowly in the breeze and the merry-go-round was creaking and turning every so slightly.

"It was right here," I said, settling on a swing. "I sat here, and you sat there. And then..." I leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips. "I kissed you," I whispered against her lips, smiling.

"I have a present for you," She untied her tan trench coat and pulled out a bag.

"How did I not notice you hade a bag-shaped lump on your chest?" I wondered.

She laughed. "Open the bag, idiot."

I reached into the package and pulled out a tiny old soccer ball. "You stole my old soccer ball!" Oh, my God." I laughed in dibelief. "I'll be watching for you on the Olympic team. Signed, ." I looked at her. "You got to sign my old practice ball?"

"Only for you," She kissed my cheek.

The two of us were silent for a while, just watching each other. Hazel eyes to violet, smiling, because we never wanted to look away.

"I have something for you, too," I said quietly. I pulled the black box out of my pocket and flicked open the lid, still watching her expression.

Her eyes went wide. "Kukai?" She said in a small voice.

I smiled. "Don't worry, Idol. I'm not proposing to you just yet. Don't think I'm quite ready for that."

She gestured to the ring, a delicate silver object with hearts twisting into the shape of a butterfly. "Then why...?"

I leaned closer. "It's a promise ring, silly. But I'll only give it to you if you _promise_ that you're only ever be mine." I moved closer, and she looked up at me, flushed and starry-eyed.

"Look, I know we've been together forever, I just..." I trailed off, feeling silly. "Want us to stay like that." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Heh. I'm not very good with words. I just wanted to say, I love you." I gulped, and stared at her expectantly.

She burst into tears and slid her arms around my neck and kissed me. "I love you, too," She said against my mouth.

Suddenly her phone began ringing. She pulled away and growled in frustration, flipping the phone open. "Amu! I was in the middle of something!" I heard a faint voice on the other side. Utau looked confused. "Wait, what? I can't understand you. I'm coming to pick you up. We'll talk later." She snapped it closed and turned to me. "Amu needs me to pick her up for whatever reason."

"Can I come?" I asked. "Seeing as, you know, I'm not a paper driver. We can take my car."

"Shut up," She muttered. "I can drive. I just need a little more practice."

"Love you, Idol," I put an arm around her shoulder.

"Love you too, baka. Let's go pick up Amu."

"Hey, shouldn't she be on a date with Ikuto right now?" I wondered, swinging our hands as we walked out the opposite way we entered the park, through the forest and down a path.

"I think so," Utau said at last, frowning, "But as of late, they don't seem very happy together.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen them together often," I scratched my head. "I hope this isn't bad."

"I know." The two of us turned the corner on the next street. "Ikuto's not usually here for so long, but this time, it's like something's keeping him here. I'm just hoping it's because he doesn't want to leave her, not that he's trying to fix things."

"He told me it's like she's suddenly more distant." Soon enough, we were nearing my street. "That doesn't really sound like our Amu. Hey, Mom!"

My mother rushed over. "Utau-chan! Kukai! How good to see you!"

One of my brothers sauntered over. "Why, hello, Utau. Come to see me?"

Utau rolled her eyes. "Don't even go there, Unkai. Hey!"

Unkai ruffled her hair. "Eh, you're too young for me anyways. I prefer older women. Just like little Kukai-chan." He winked at me.

"S-Shut up!" I yelled.

Kaidou came out of the kitchen. "Otouto." He nodded to me. "Idol."

"Hey, Kaidou-san." Utau smiled up at him, and then turned to me. "You didn't tell me your brothers were visiting."

My mom cocked her head. "Kind of a family reunion. Shuusui's probably up in his room talking some business stuff with his company. Rento's introducing his new fiance to my dad."

"Oh, cool! Can we-?"

My mother giggled. "Of course." I led her into the kitchen.

There in front of stood a smiling Rento next to his new fiancee, who smiled at us happily.

"Otouto, Utau-chan," Rento flipped his hair. "You're finally here. This is my new fiancee, Aki Tsunaga."

"Nice to meet you," Aki Tsunaga nodded, smiling at us politely.

"Aki-chan, this is Kukai, my younger brother, and Utau Hoshina, his girlfriend."

"Ah-you must be..." Aki's eyes widened.

Utau smiled. "I'm a singer."

"How amazing! You're very talented," Aki gushed. "This is so amazing! You both can call me Aki-chan."

"Nice to meet you, Aki-chan." Utau shook Aki's hand.

I turned to my dad. "Can I borrow the car?"

"What for?" My dad asked curiously. "It's late."

"Utau and I need to pick up one of our friends."

My father looked doubtful, but my mother nodded, giving us a bright smile. "Just be careful, okay?" She tossed me the keys."

"I'm driving," I said firmly to Utau, who pouted.

"Fine."

"See you later! Nice to meet you, Aki-chan!" I called over my shoulder, and the two of us headed back outside.

"So what did you think of Aki-chan?" I asked Utau.

"He was pretty cool," She replied. "I'm so glad your brother finally found someone. I just hope he can keep up with your brother."

I chuckled. "Yeah, Rento's pretty... well, let's call it, loud. Ah-ah!" My hand hit the door with a bang, trapping her against the diver's side door. "Nuh-uh," I ran my hand over hers, which was latched tightly to the door handle. "Let go."

"No."

I smirked and leaned closer, pressing a kiss to her neck. She blushed, and her grip loosened. "Let. Go." My hand trailed up her arm and neck, and I kissed her trembling, but stubborn, lips, pressing her back against the door. I slipped one hand behind her lower back and pulled her closer, before pulling away, panting slightly, and murmured, "Ha."

She blinked, and realized I had managed to pry her fingers from the door. "Cheater."

I laughed, and stepped past her, plopping myself into the driver's seat. I cursed. "Mom must've been driving. The seat's way too close."

"Karma," Utau said gleefully. "That's what you get for cheating."

"It's fine." I grinned and nuzzled her cheek. "I wouldn't mind doing that again, anyways."

"Just drive the damn car."

I pulled out of the driveway. "So where'd Amu say to pick her up?"

"I think she said somewhere outside Seiyo Academy."

"Seiyo?" I was incredulous. "What's she doing there? Also, why can't she just walk back to wherever she needs to go?"

"Something important, whatever it is." Utau looked out the window. "I hope she's all right."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, we were driving right past Seiyo Academy, where a lone figure stood. It was Amu.

"Amu!" Utau opened the passenger-seat door and leapt out, running to meet Amu.

I parked the car and hopped out as well, coming to join the two. "Hey, Amu. What's up?"

Amu's face was hidden behind her pink hair. I saw her shoulders were shaking. She looked up, and her expression was one of pain and anguish. "We broke up," She sobbed. "Ikuto and I broke up."

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	22. Amu Runs Like the Wind!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Amu**

"Amu, are you done yet?" My mom banged on my door. "It's almost eight, your date should be here soon!"

"Almost!" I called, and turned back to the mirror, fixing my makeup. I stepped back to look at myself, frowning at my reflection. "Something's not quite right."

"You look amazing," Ran told me cheerfully. "Ikuto will love it!"

"You're shining," Dia said happily.

"Su thinks you look pretty!"

Miki shook her head. "No, she's right. Something's missing. But what?"

I was dressed in a dark pink plaid dress that flowed lighly to mid-thigh and fit tightly against my curves, with frills running down the front. The Humpty Amulet, as usual, rested right above my heart, and I had silver hoop earrings made of little Xs in my ears. I wore the black leather jacket that I had bought only a week ago at Yaya's birthday party, as well as a pair of short metallic grey heels decorated with studs, rhinestones and chains.

"The X clip is a nice touch," Ran added.

The red X clip held back a strand of my hair, which I had curled meticulously until they were perfect and placed just right around my face. I leaned closer to the mirror and checked my lips, which were a deep red, and flicked a miniscule bit of mascara off my thick-looking, curled eyelashes. Thanks to a tiny bit of powder, my skin was just slghtly flushed a pretty shade, another factor that helped my amber eyes look huge. "Thanks, Ran."

Downstairs, I heard the doorbell ring. "Hello, is Amu here?"

"Oh, no!" I grabbed my metallic gold clutch off the bed and dashed out the door. "He's here, he's here," I said frantically. "What do I do?"

"Calm down, Amu-chan, you'll do great," Ran said reassuringly (which was TOTALLY NOT REASSURING!) and waved the pom-poms that had just popped into her tiny hands.

"You look good enough," Miki nodded.

"'Good enough' is not very calming," I told her.

Dia patted my hand and smiled up at me. "You'll be fine. You're already shining. And he's waiting for you."

"Would you like some of my homeade 'determination' drink?" Su held up a little cup from Ami's old dollhouse.

"NO!" I'd had enough experience with Su's drinks.

"Amu, your date is here!" Ami bellowed. "Get down here!"

"Coming!" I took a deep breath and walked shakily down the steps. My first real date with Ikuto...

There he was, hands in dark jean pockets, wearing a deep blue collared shirt with a button or two undone at the top with his cross necklace poking from the opening. He had little silver cross cufflinks and a loose, poorly tied black tie at his neck.

"Hello, Amu-koi," Ikuto said, smiling. "You look beautiful."

I ignored my dad, who was growing mushrooms in the corner, and nodded, blushing. "You look very nice."

"Shall we get going?" He asked, holding his hand out for me to take.

"WAIT!" My mom jumped forward and held up a camera. "Can I take your pictures? You look so cute together!"

Ami and her chara Suzu sweat-dropped. "Mom..."

"NO!" I grabbed Ikuto's hand and ran out the door.

"Call us to let us know when you'll be home!" Mom called cheerfully.

"I really like your family," Ikuto chuckled. "They're so fun to be around."

I didn't say anything. Because really, WHAT THE HECK WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY?! I felt like anything I did say would sound stupid or weird.

"Don't be afraid to say anything. I promise, I won't think it' s stupid or weird."

"Ah!" I leapt backwards. "How did you know I was thinking that?!"

"It was written all over you face." He smiled and bended downward, nuzzling my cheek.

"EEK!" I shoved him away. "P-Pervert! Don't do that!"

He chuckled. "You smell really good."

"WEIRDO!"

And that was when he slid an arm under my legs and the other under my back and began to carry me.

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!"

"No."

"Please!" I pleaded. "I must be heavy."

"Very. No."

"But—HEY! I'M NOT THAT HEAVY!"

"You said it yourself." He grinned and kept walking. "And anyways, we'll be there soon."

"Where?" I asked in curiosity.

"You'll see."

"Aw1" I complained. "Why won't you tell me?"

He stopped. "You really want to know?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"Come closer to me." He lowered his face to mine. "Give me your ear."

"My ear...?" I blushed.

"Yes. It's okay." I turned my head hesitantly, and felt his moist breath on my ear. I shivered and closed my eyes.

He opened his mouth wider, moved just a little closer, and bit my ear.

"AHHHHH!" I shrieked and grabbed my ear. "YOU BAKA!"

He laughed. "And that wasn't even the first time I did that to you."

"IDIOT! STUPID PERVERTED COSPLAYING CAT!"

Ikuto smirked and kissed my cheek. "A cat? Does that mean you would pet me?" He murmured in my ear.

"AHHHHHHHH!" I shoved him away, and therefore crashed in a heap on the ground. "Ow," I mumbled. "Now look what you made me do."

He rolled his eyes and held out a hand. "Here."

I took it, and he pulled me close, hugging me with his cheek resting on the top of my head. "This is nice."

I started trying to hide the fact that I was now feeling faint because I was hyperventilating. "Mmf."

"I'm glad we have some time alone," He whispered in my ear. "Now let's get going, or at this rate we'll never get there in time."

He led me down a street I didn't remember ever having been down before, where the shops seemed small and slightly worn down. In fact, now that I think about it, I didn't remember anything familiar about the route we were taking.

"We're here," Ikuto gave a buoyant twinkle. "Cafe Phở."

"Fuh?" I asked quizically. "But, it says 'Foh.'"

He bonked me in the head. "It's Vietnamese. And it's pronounced 'fuh', not 'foh.'"

"Oh. Is it good?"

"Very. We'll have to share a bowl, though."

The two of us entered the restaurant, which was filled with tasty smells that were unfamiliar to my nose. The walls were a pretty shade of green that was rich and warm in the evening light, but in a cooler light would be a refreshing mint green.

Ikuto said something to a passing waiter, who nodded his head and replied back in the same tongue.

"Did you just speak in Vietnamese?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I learned it when I was traveling. Took me forever to learn, it's pretty difficult. Let's sit down." He led me over to a table by the window, where our server brought us glasses of water and red menus gilded with gold.

I opened up a menu and choked. "All the names are in Vietnamese. I have no idea how to pronounce any of this."

"It's okay. Just read the descriptions, and I'll say what you want."

"Ah... How about... um, this?" I pointed to #23."

"Bun Dac Biet. Good choice. I'll just have Phở Ga." He motioned the waiter over and spoke again, gesturing back and forth between the two of us. The waiter nodded and smiled, and turned to go into what must be the kitchen. "So, Amu," Ikuto rested his head in his hands, watching me. "How are you?"

"Fine." I watched my place mat with great interest.

He sighed and scooted his chair right up next to mine. "Are you sure about that?" I shivered as his lips brushed my ear.

"W-Weirdo," I muttered. "Go back to your side of the table."

"Say please," He purred. I gulped nervously. And we were alone in a restaurant...

"P-Please."

"Pretty please with a strawberry on top." He kissed my neck. Eep.

"P-Pretty p-please with a s-strawberry on top," I stuttered.

He smirked and bit my ear. I squealed and shoved him away. "AAHH—mmfph!" He covered my mouth with a hand. "Shh, we wouldn't want to be rude customers, now, would we?"

"Baka," I said, my voice muffled by his hand.

The waiter came out of the kitchen with his hand holding up a small tray with a large platter and a huge bowl of food. My mouth dropped open. Then I realized I was drooling on Ikuto's hand, and I closed my mouth quick, blushing.

"Looks good," Ikuto said cheerfully to the waiter, scooting back to the other side of the table and rubbing his hands together at the bowl in front of him, which was about the size of his head and filled with rice noodles, chicken, and a golden broth with green onion. The waiter smiled and set a plate of garnishes like cilantro and bean sprouts next to the bowl.

I stared down at my platter, trying to hold back the sudden flood of saliva that had decided to make an appearance due to the huge pieces of shrimp, grilled pork, chicken and beef over vermicelli noodles. "This smells really good."

"It is really good." Ikuto looked at my meal, then used his vietnames hashi to steal a piece of shrimp.

"HEY!" I growled at him. "You stole my shrimp!"

"Yep." He stuck it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing and saying, "It's the least you could do. I am paying for dinner, after all."

"No, you're not," I said stubbornly, scarfing down my food. (It was delicious.) "I'm paying for it. So there." I stuck my tongue out at him.

He rolled his eyes. "No, you won't. I paid for it in advance."

"Well—well—" I sputtered. "Dang it."

The silence seemed to stretch out as we ate, diminishing the large amounts on our plates ever so slowly into crumbs.

"Amu," Ikuto said finally. "There's some things I've been meaning to talk to you with."

I swallowed another bite. "What is it?"

He sighed. "We're going out, right?"

I choked on my next bite. He leaned over the table calmly and grabbed the sides of my jacket and pulled me hard against the table. I spit up the piece of my food, which was thankfully still in my mouth, and spit it into my napkin. "I-I guess so. Why?"

He frowned. "To be honest, the fact that I wasn't sure worries me."

My stomach dropped. "Why? What do you mean?"

"I'm just not sure if you're really ready to be in a relationship with me."

Ouch. "So... you're saying..."

"I just thought we should talk. Straighten things out, you know."

I stared at him. "Okay."

He looked me straight in the eye. "Do you want to be dating? Because, if it doesn't make you happy, then we don't have to go out."

"Of course I do," I said, alarmed. "Why would I not? I—I... I love you," I said, embarrassed, and looked away.

I felt footsteps approach my side of the table. "I love you, too," Ikuto murmured in my ear, kneeling in front of me and tilting my chin upwards. "I just worry. I felt like you were avoiding me."

"I wasn't sure, either," I admitted. "I was... I don't know anymore. But I do know, I want to be with you."

"But, I am the only one you want to be with?"

Thoughts of my confusion, when I'd seen Nade-chan and Tadase kissing, how I'd felt. I looked down at my hands.

"I see." Ikuto's voice was quiet. "All right, then. Can I ask... who is it?"

"It's not really that important, though, is it?" I implored desperately. "I mean, I love you."

"Amu... Sometimes, love just isn't enough."

"But it is, for us!" I insisted. "This shouldn't even affect anything."

"Affect anything? Amu, if you want to be with someone else, than that's not really a little thing. Not for us."

"It shouldn't affect anything. I love you. I know that. I'm not even sure if I actually love this guy."

"But, if you have doubts about us, are you willing to take this risk? If we're not actually meant to be together?"

My hands slammed on the table as I stood and fled the table, ramming through the doors and into the night.

"Amu!" I heard Ikuto shout behind me. "Wait!"

I kept running as hard as I could, wiping away the tears that sprung to my eyes.

"Amu!" My guardian characters, who I'd forgotten had been with me the whole time, were flying next to me, trying to catch up.

I ignore them and kept running, feeling the sobs rip out of my chest. I dashed out of the alley and across streets, along sidewalks and past buildings until finally, exhausted, I came to a stop in front of Seiyo Academy.

I fell to my knees, feeling drained and empty. Why had my feet carried me here? I wondered. And why?

"Long time, no see, Amu Hinamori."

I started and looked up to see Tsukasa Amakawa smiling down at me.

"Hi," I said weakly.

"I was just helping some of your classmates move a few leftover things from the play," He said calmly. "Normally everything should've been cleared out weeks ago, but we've all been sso busy with sports that no one had any time."

I rubbed my eyes hurriedly and got to my feet. "I'm sorry, am I intruding?"

"No, no, you're fine. In fact, why don't you help us move the last of the things out?"

I didn't really want to be around other people, but I nodded. What else do you say the the director of your school?

He led me indoors, past the elementary and middle school up to the high school. He said nothing, only hummed a classical waltz under his breath that sounded like "Claire de Lune".

"So, Amu," He said after a while, "I sense you aren't quite feeling up to your usual standard."

"Is it that obvious?" I covered my face with my hands. "No, I'm not," I admitted.

The caretaker of the planetarium looked up to the stars. "Sometimes we are unsure of ourselves and what is in our hearts. We try to decieve ourselves, distract from the truth, but it is always there. Though you cannot always see the stars, though the moon hides from the day and the sun the night, they are still there, waiting to be seen.

"Sometimes it's hard to be honest with yourself, and truly see and understand the troubles of your own heart. Or, even if you know what you feel in your heart, you feel you are alone. We want others not to feel sympathy, but empathy, for for someone who understands to come help us. But we forget that this help must only be a helping hand, and that we must solve our own problems instead of waiting for another to fix it for us. To face them head on and fight them on our own."

"I—"

"Oh, Amu!" Tadase appeared out of nowhere, carrying a large box full of costumes. "How are you.

Wow. This night was seriously not going my way. "Hey, Tadase."

"BOW TO YOUR KING!" Kiseki roared.

"Amu-chan?" Nadeshiko appeared behind Tadase. "Hey, good to see you! Whatcha doin' out so late?"

"Hey, Nade-chan!" I attempted a cheerful smile.

"Ah..." Nade-chan sweat-dropped. "You okay there, Amu-chan?"

Apparently my fake cheerful smile needed some work. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

Nadeshiko studied me for a moment, then turned to Amakawa-senpai. "Sir, why don't we get these out to your car?"

"Of course."

She kept walking, shooting me a knowing look, before talking loudly to Amakawa-senpai abut her love of shrimp tempura.

"Wanna walk together?" Tadase said cheerfully.

"S-Sure." I nodded.

To face them head on...

"Tadase," I said tentatively. "Can I talk to you?"

He looked surpised, but he smiled. "Of course. What about?"

I took a deep breath, trying to work up the courage and the words that were crowding around in my head, and began, forcing out everything that I'd been feeling for the past couple weeks.

"...I see." Tadase came to a full stop and looked at me.

"I'm not even supposed to be here." I tried to give laugh, but it came out choked. "I'm supposed to be on a dat with Ikuto. We just... we were trying to work things out, and then he figured it out, and I just... ran." My voice broke. "And now..."

Tadase was silent for another moment. Then he put a hand on my shoulder. "Amu... I can't explain what you're feeling right now. But you know, I've seen the way you look at him. There's no denying that you love him. And I think you know that."

I nodded. "But..."

Tadase shook his head. "Even if you really do love me as well, I don't think it's enough to last. What you have with Ikuto, that's the sort of thing that will last a lifetime. You and I..." He smiled and shook his head. "No matter how much we both wanted it, it was never really going to work, don't you think?"

He looked down, and I got the feeling he was also talking to himself. "You fell in love with Ikuto because of who he is inside. That's not going to change. You were friends with him first, and now you love each other. You and Ikuto, you know things about each other that no one else could figure out in a million lifetimes. This is a guy that I know you have no doubts about. Now, I don't know what's really holding you back, but I think... whatever it is, it's not going to last. Not like you and Ikuto."

"Tadase..."

"Hotori, Hinamori, if you're done, can you please bring that box over here?" Amakawa-senpai popped into view. Startled, Tadase handed him the box. "Thank you very much!" And with that, he was gone.

"Whoa..." I looked around. "I didn't realize. How did we even get to the school gates?"

Tadase shrugged. "I dunno. But, Amu, he's probably waiting for you, somewhere."

I modded tremulously. "You're right."

"Hey, Hotori-kun? Amu-chan? Are you guys done?" Nadeshiko strolled up to us casually. "Your phone is buzzing," She told Tadase.

"Ah!" A look of realization crossed his face, and he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone.

Nadeshiko giggled and whispered, "My mom is waiting. I'll see you guys later." Then she hurried off.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Mom. Yeah, we're done. I'll be home in around a half hour." He turned to me. "You need a ride? I drove my car here."

"I'll be good." I nodded. Then, deciding, I stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you," I whispered, then stood on the balls of my feet and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

"Bye!" I called, waving as his car turned the corner.

I heard rustling in the bush behind me, and I whirled around. My eyes widened. "Ikuto!"

He bowed his head. "So, that's who it is." He forced a laugh. "Who would've guessed? Little King really did become the thief."

"What? No! I—"

"It's okay." He brushed his hair aside and stepped forward. "I understand now. And, if it makes you happy, then I will step aside." The corners of his mouth turned up in a sorrowful smile.

My breath caught in my throat. "No..."

He moved closer, tilting my face up, and kissed me, long and slow. My heart in my chest beat fast as a hummingbird, and I pulled him closer to me, trying desperately to keep him here. Ikuto cradled my head gently, and pulled away, looking deep into my eyes. "Sorry. I had to do that one last time," He whispered, and pulled me in close, holding me tight. Then he was gone, and my hands were empty. Ikuto was already walking away

"No," I begged. "Please, don't go. I can explain!"

He shook his head. "There's nothing to explain, Amu. I saw everything."

"Ikuto, listen to me!" I shouted. "I love you!"

"Goodbye, Amu," Ikuto said softly, before turning and walking away without looking back. He was gone.

I fell to my knees once more, looking after him. Then the pain hit me, and a blur of tears flooded my vision, sliding down my cheeks like rainwater. Sobs choked out of my throat, and I put my head in my hands, trying to staunch the agony that was flowing from my heart.

* * *

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	23. Nagihiko Gets Everyone Drunk!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nagihiko**

It was a Saturday night with clear, deep blue skies, stars already beginning to pop into view. Ikuto, Kukai, Tadase, Kairi and I all sat lounging sullenly in our table booth. "And... why are we here, exactly?" I wondered.

I already knew the answer to that, of course. Guy's night out. Although, it seemed a bit glum without the girls around. They were off at karaoke singing lots of songs and probably having a good time. We, on the other hand, were less than satisfied with our choice. A restaurant Kukai had found that we'd all made plans for to go, including the girls, but with all the tension between us, we'd split up. Now we were sitting in a booth. We hadn't even ordered anything yet.

Ikuto ran a finger over the condensation of his water glass, staring moodily at the ice. "Guy's night out. Yay," He said sarcastically.

I glanced around the table and sighed. So much for a pleasant night. Not with Ikuto and Amu, already split almost a week, and Yaya and Kairi, who glanced longingly at each other whenever the other wasn't looking... And then, Kukai and Utau were so sickening to be around for those of us who were not together, Nadeshiko and Tadase remained annoyingly ignorant and blissful, unaware of their growing feelings of each other (I still wasn't sure I approved of their supposed relationship.)

As it was, Id been pretty excited about tonight before we decided to split up. A night to relax, and maybe get a little closer to Rima. I'd worn comfortable jeans and a plain grey hoodie, while Kukai wore a fitted white tee and black pants and Tadase wore an old t-shirt and shorts, looking kind of like those American beach bums you see on TV. Ikuto was in black (surprise, surprise) and Kairi was attempting to bury himself in a ragged old green sweatshirt.

"This isn't much of a guy's night out," Rhythm grumbled.

"I'm not a guy," Temari pouted. "This is weird."

"Karaoke sounded much more fun," Kukai grumbled, and was silenced by a look from Ikuto.

Tadase shrugged cheerfully. "This is fun, too. and besides, the girls are having a girl's night out, we couldn't possibly intrude upon that."

"Obey the king," Kiseki ordered.

Ikuto glared at Tadase for a second, before his expression softened slightly. "I guess so."

"Let's get some food," I said bracingly. "Maybe some appetizers. What do we say to mozzarella cheese sticks and some hot wings to start off with?"

"I'm getting a margarita," Ikuto said indifferently.

"What? Why?"

"Well, I'm well past age, I've had alchohol before, I enjoy margaritas..." He said in an obvious tone.

Kukai gave him a worrie look. "You sure, bro?"

"Margaritas are unhealthy," Daichi said reprovingly.

"I'll be fine." Ikuto shrugged. I caught the "I have things I want to forget about" in his voice.

I sighed. "You really need to make up with Amu."

"We're not fighting," Ikuto insisted. "We were just in different places in our relationship, so we broke up." His eyes flickered to Tadase, who was attempting to make conversation with a sullen Kairi.

"I've known Tadase for a long time, and that doesn't seem like something he'd do," Kukai insisted. "And we already know he's over Amu. So—"

"I'm not blaming anyone, Amu just doesn't feel the same way anymore," Ikuto said in a defeated voice. "I'll get over it. Maybe I'll even try again. But not now."

I frowned at him. "Excuse me?" I stopped a passing waitress and gave her a smile. "Could we order?"

She giggled and twirled a lock of her hair, eyes raking every single guy at our table and resting on Ikuto, who was ignoring her completely. Uh oh. "Sure," She drawled. "Whatcha want?"

"Could we have mozzarella cheese sticks and some hot wings?"

"And a margarita," Ikuto added, glancing once and the waitress and turning away.

"Yeah, and a Baha Blasta margarita, I guess." I glared at Ikuto.

She smiled. "Oh, are you overage?" She asked Ikuto. "May I see some ID?" Ikuto flashed her a card. "Perfect," She purred. "In fact... drinks on me. I can get you all one each."

"That won't be—" She hustled off. "...necessary." Oh, dear.

Five minutes later she was back with our food. "Hey, I've got your food!" She giggled and batted her eyelashes. "Those drinks are coming up," She said seductively. "They'd be a good desert, don't you think?" and sashayed away.

I picked up a mozzarella stick and bit into it. "Oh, this is good."

Tadase looked at the food. "Oh, food!" He snatched a wing, looking at it thoughtfully, and bit into it, getting sauce all over himself. "Whoops." He blushed.

Kukai grabbed a dozen of each of the appetizers and gulped them down. "Tasty," He said through a mouthful of food.

"Shouldn't we order dinner?" Kairi asked emotionlessly. "That's why we came here."

"Sure, but why don't you try some of these first?" I offered him a mozzarella stick. He shrugged indifferently and took it, swallowing it whole. I sweat-dropped.

"Hey, can we order some more food?" I asked a passing waitress (thankfully not the flrty one.)

She smiled. "Sure. What can I get you?"

I looke at the menu. "Ah... mushroom swiss burger for me..."

Kukai spoke up. "An extra large cheeseburger and fries."

"I'll have the New York strip," Tadase said brightly.

"A burger," Kairi said tonelessly.

Ikuto shrugged. "Same for me."

"All righty then." She nodded and tossed us another smile. "I'll be back."

About a half hour later, she returned with steaming plates of food.

"Here's the cheeseburger, the mushroom swiss, the steak, and the burgers. Anything else?"

"No, we're good." I nodded thankfully, and took a bite of my burger, enjoying the burst of the savory combination of swiss, mushroom and meat. "Mmm."

Ikuto took a bite and chewed, and was silent. Kairi gobbled half of it down, wiped his mouth, and then swallowed the other half. Kukai hadn't touch his burger, as he was trying not to laugh at Tadase's wide, sparkling eyes and bulging cheeks as he cut the steak into large pieces like a child and stuck them in his mouth, chewing with gusto. I swore I could hear an "om nom nom" coming from him.

"Tadase, you got a little..." I motioned to my cheek.

"Oh!" He swallowed and went red, hurriedly snatching his napkin and wiping his face clean.

"You're like a little kid," Kukai chuckled. "All cute and stuff."

Tadase looked hurt. "Hey!"

The other waitress (the flirty one) appeared at our table. "Hello again! I got your Baha Blasta, an apple sake for Blondie, a Pineapple Fiesta for Hazel Eyes, a tonic for Blue Eyes, and..." She produced a champagne-colored flute with a glassy red drink that swilled against the sides. "A blood orange mimosa. Enjoy!" She waltzed away before I could protest.

Ikuto snatched his drink and took a sip. "Hmm. Not bad."

Tadase and Kairi broke out of their frced conversation. "What's this? Wow, it's bright green. Did you guys get me something? How nice!" He picked up the glass against mine and Kiseki's protests and swallowed some. "Oh, it's nice!"

Kukai looked up from his phone where he'd been texting someone, probably Utau. "What are these?" He picked up his beverage and took a swig, and then choked. "What the hell? It's alcohol!"

"The waitress brought them over," I said helplessly.

Kukai groaned. "What do we do with them now?"

"Give 'em to some chicks!" Rhythm suggested. Temari whacked him. "Ow!"

The waitress came back smiling. "Excuse me, but we have another apple sake for you," She told Tadase, "and another tonic. Seems like we have some fine gentlemen here." She winked and set down more glasses.

My eyes wandered to a table close to ours, where a small number of well-dressed, giggling guys were waving and winking at Tadase and Kairi.

Kairi didn't even think to look at what he was drinking, he simply grabbed the glass and downed the entire thing.

I sweat-dropped. "Oh, no."

Tadase smiled at the group of guys, who gave him churlish winks, and took polite sips of his sake.

"Hey, Tadase, I wouldn't drink that if I were you," I said hurriedly. "That's alcoholic."

"Hmm..." Tadase's eyes were already becoming slightly unfocused. "What?"

"We'd better get that away from you," I tried to grab his glass, but he snatched it back.

"Wait, wait, I'm not done," He slurred, and downed some he hit the table. "AHH, THAT"S GOOD!" He roared.

Shit.

* * *

_The dog limped slowly down the sidewalk, peering around corners and moving with an unusual wary caution. With a prick of its ears, it turned down a long, empty alleyway. Glancing back, there were no passerbys._

_A homeless man, sick with a grimy beard, gnarled yellow stumps for teeth, and defeated black eyes was crouching up in a ball, huddling in dirty clothes. He looked up when he saw the mangy dog approach him slowly, carefully, watching with detatched interest at the dog that did not act like it should._

_Then, with a snarl, the dog lunged and bit the man's shoulder. The man cried out in pain and tried to shove the dog away, but, already weak and sick, collapsed as the dog gripped him with all its might._

_Then suddenly the dog let go and bounded off, out of the alley. Then man looked after it, disoriented and half scared out of his wits, and did not move._

_Then the pain flared up in his shoulder and coarsed through his veins, and it was dark, the sound of demonic laughter loud in his ears._

* * *

Half an hour later, Ikuto was sitting slumped in his seat, bored and ignoring the rest of us, while Kukai was trying to hold back a drunk and horny Kairi from a group of giggling girls, and I was attempting to keep the sake away from Tadase, who had been having strange mood swings and crazy antics.

Kairi was trying to wrench himself from Kukai's strong grip. "Lemme go," He whined, acting extremely un-Kairi-ish. "Canchoo see'm bizzy? Yur'messin up m'game."

Kukai groused, "You're lucky I'm not telling Yaya about this."

Kairi started. "Yaya?" He mumbled, and started mumbling mumbo-jumbo about string theory and sex.

Kukai . "Let's go, Einstein."

"Strings particles... tie her to the bed..." Kairi made a motion with his hands. "...an' a lil' o' this..."

"Remind me never to let you order food again," Kukai told me, forcing Kairi to sit down.

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "Tonight wasn't supposed to turn out like this."

"Damn right it wasn't," Ikuto said, surprising the both of us. "Nothing is going right..." He stared off into space. "You're still not with Rima... Kairi and Yaya are fighting... Kukai and Utau..." He stopped and shot Kukai a dirty look. "...the only relationship in our circle that's working out right. Damn you." He sighed and put his head in his hands. "And Tadase and Nadeshiko are idiots, and Amu and I aren't even together anymore, and we had a demon on the loose... and now Kairi and Tadase are drunk out of their heads, and I'm just babbling, so I probably am too."

"Yeah..." I sat down hard. "After Easter, wasn't it supposed to be a happy ending? Where we all fall in love and it's happily ever after."

"It was a beginning," Kukai said, "and then, even if not for me, it changed somehow for you guys... and now everything feels complicated, and I'm not even a part of half of it." Kukai rubbed his eyes and then glowered at us. "Can't wait till I get to college. Get away from you people. Trouble always pops up when I'm with you guys."

"You're good with Utau," I said moodily. "Rima's only just now starting to not hate me..."

"And Kairi and Yaya, too." Ikuto gave an incredulous snort. "They were supposed to be the easy ones. You know, innocence, easy relationship. They were supposed to just fall in love and get together, and now they barely look at each other. What's up with that?"

"I know. And then there's Tadase and Nadeshiko," Kukai bonked his head on the table. "Obviously they have feelings for each other, right? Right? Someone... one of us should have it easy..."

"...And your shishter... she foumdbt oudt..." Tadase rambled, tears springing to his eyes. He grabbed my shoulders. "Sheeza googirl...ahlyke 'er alot... purdy n' smart, an' a goo' kisserrr..."

"...Uhm, okay," I agreed, having absolutely no clue as to what he was saying.

Tadase's hands slammed down on the table. "AND 'CHU KNOWUTZ WRON?" He yelled, and clambered on top of the booth. "WEER PEEPLE TOOOO! US LGBTQRSTUVWXZ... WE AIN' DOIN' NUDDIN WRON!" He yelled angrily, stumbling, and fell.

"Tadase!" I yelled.

He had landed at the next table (the one with the gay men) and into an extremely handsome man's arms. "Well, yurr a purty thinn, arnchu?" Tadase mumbled, and grabbed the front of the guy's shirt and began making out with him.

"Ah..." I turned red and after regaining some sense, I reached into my pocket. Maybe it was time to call for some backup. Flipping open my phone, I dialed Nadeshiko's number. "Hey, Nadeshiko!" I laughed nervously. "Listen..."

* * *

_"This night is going really badly!" Temari wailed. "Everyone's drunk!"_

_"Nagihiko and Kukai aren't drunk, they're trying to get this sorted out," Rhythm tried to console his female counterpart._

_Daichi nodded, absently kicking small button mushrooms. "Nagihiko's even calling the girls now. We'll be fine."_

_Temari growled."Does that look fine to you?' She pointed to Kiseki, who was frantically trying to pull Tadase off the other guy, who was wildly waving his arms in protest and shock._

_"Tadase! This is not how a king acts! Get off the commoner!"_

_"Or that?" Temari gestured to Kairi, who was shouting perverted things that he wanted to do to Yaya and the theory of evolution. "Why haven't we been kicked out yet?!"_

_"That." Rhythm gestured to most of the waitresses, who were crowding around a freaked out Ikuto who was searching for an escape and yelling that he was already taken, while the other male waiters were attempting to subdue them._

_"The girls should be here in a little while," Rhythm said reassuringly. "It'll be okay." There was a loud crash of breaking plates and angry shouts as the manager stormed out of his office and began yelling. "Jeez, it's crazy in here!"_

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	24. YOU DID WHAT?

**Hello, Hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, Hana Tegami, Itsuka wa Romansu, MY BOY, LOTTA LOVE LOTTA LOVE, BUONO!, Sayuri Yahagi, or Saeko Chiba.**

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

I'd never really been in a karaoke room before. I'd never had the chance. But it wasn't half bad, what with the little stage and karaoke machine, or the plush, curved couch with worn down seats. I nervously adjusted my flowy top, a thin camisole with a purple, green and blue peacock feather design and long frills down the front. I wasn't reeally used to wearing shorts, especially ones as short as these, even if they were cute with the sparkly embroided fleur-de-li design on the butt pockets.

"Order what you like, guys, I'm paying," Utau said cheerfully.

"So exciting," Su gushed. "This will be lots of fun!"

Ran giggled and cheered. "Let's go! Let's go! Ganbare!"

She and I gathered around the podium, reading down a long list of songs. "Ooh, this one looks good," Utau said happily. "Ah, but I'll need help, it's not a solo."

"I can sing it with you," I offered. "What about you guys?" I turned back and sighed.

Amu, dressed in a black, faux reptile scale skin tight tube dress that almost reached mid-thigh, was sitting gloomily in the corner growing mushrooms (Why does that seem familiar?), while Yaya was gazing off wistfully into the distance and fingering the necklace Kairi had given her, and Rima kept looking at her phone and furiously typing out long texts with one hand (probably to my brother) and clutching her soft white blouse and black tutu before reading them fervently and then shaking her head and deleting them and starting fresh.

"HEY!" I yelled.

The three jumped. "Yes?" Rima said innocently, quickly stashing her phone in her pocket. Amu looked up with a broken expression, while Yaya just stared at us, pulling the strap of her 70's flower bustier dress. "So what are you guys gonna sing?"

"Oh..." Rima shook her head. "I'm not a very good singer."

"So?" Utau scoffed. "You don't have to be good, you just have to have fun."

Rima glared at her. "Says the international pop singer."

"Amu? Yaya?" I said desperately. They shrugged. "C'mon, guys, this is supposed to be a fun girls' night out! Let's not just sit here all sad!"

"Easy for you to say," Rima said grumpily. "Sad Eyes Number One barely looks at her supposed-to-be-by-now boyfriend," she motioned to Yaya, "and Sad Eyes Number Two is brokenhearted because she broke up with the love of her life." She motioned to Amu.

"And you're not together with Nagi,"KusuKusu nudged Rima's cheek playfully, and she blushed.

I tried to cheer them up. "Look, I know it's been a hard time for you guys, but this is a night where we get to just forget all that and have fun!"

A night to shine," Dia added.

"We were supposed to go with the guys," Rima said, and looked down at her toes. "But with all this tension..."

Amu stood. "I'm singing." She rubbed at her eyes and took a deep breath, putting on a brave smile. "I can be without a guy, right, Yaya?"

Yaya blinked, and nodded, smiling slightly. "Me, too. Right, Pepe?" The little baby character nodded.

"That's right~dechu."

"Nade-chan and I were going to sing **Lotta Love Lotta Love** by **Buono!**, do any of you guys want to sing with us?"

"I will," Amu nodded, and stepped onto the podium, selecting the song and grabbing some microphones. "I'll be Miyabi."

"Airi," I said.

"I'll be Momoko, then," Utau pulled up her purple leopard print halter top.

**("Really?) (What~!)  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"If we of today  
****become adults,  
****surely we'll be unable to see everything but what's visible  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"Just what is it  
****that we of today  
****have become so engrossed in searching for?  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"Someone said that,  
****'we are born to become happy,  
****and we live in order to make someone else happy'**

**"How much love do I need  
****How much love do I need  
****to hold in my chest before we can tell each other?**

**"With my chest this full of love  
****With my chest this full of love  
****When I held you that time,  
****we felt happiness**

**"Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love (Why?)  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Lov****e**

**"I didn't know that  
****there were this many things  
****that I couldn't see on my own, but that I can see with someone  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"If we hold hands,  
****I feel something  
****If you'll be by my side, I don't want that to ever disappear  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"Like a dandelion,  
****if you blow on it, it flies away  
****and disappears, like a shooting star, into the night sky in the blink of an eye**

**"How many days full of dreams  
****How many days full of dreams  
****did we run past that day?**

**"In days that full of dreams  
****In days that full of dreams  
****Even though I held you,  
****we lost our happiness**

**"Someone said that,  
****'we are born to become happy,  
****and we live in order to make someone else happy'**

**"How much love do I need  
****How much love do I need  
****to hold in my chest before we can tell each other?**

**"With my chest this full of love  
****With my chest this full of love  
****When I held you that time,  
****we felt happiness**

**"Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love (Why?)  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love (Really?)  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love  
****Lotta Love Lotta Love Lotta Love**

**"*sigh*"**

Rima and Yaya clapped noisily. "I think I'll try one," Rima said softly, and hopped onto the stage. "Oh, I like this one.** Itsuka wa Romansu**."

**"Chatting after school,  
****with evening approaching  
****A boy happened by,  
****with a rather nonchalant appearance.  
****He was hoping for something.  
****A white blouse. A useless bag.  
****A cool breeze. Your scorching look.**

**"A romantic love  
****I don't have any interest in things like that.  
****Truthfully speaking, we don't see eye to eye.  
****If he were to honestly say something like, "I like you,"  
****I would laugh to my heart's content.**

**"The first time we met  
****There was a strange feeling  
****He, I, everyone; we're all a Dramatic Heroine.  
****I lock away my heart, in a secret diary  
****I come for you: my future Romance.**

**"At the highest point, an amusement park Ferris Wheel,  
****I find myself afraid  
****And in a quiet whispered voice, I say  
****That the quaint street, with its houses and stores,  
****Looks like a cluttered toy box.  
****Why do you like me?**

**"A romantic love  
****I don't have any interest in things like that.  
****Truthfully speaking, we don't see eye to eye.  
****If he were to honestly say something like, "I like you,"  
****I would laugh to my heart's content."**

"Wow, you sound just like** Sayuri Yahagi**," Yaya said excitedly. "That's really cool! I wanna go next! Can we do another **Buono!** song?"

"You can be Momoko. I'm done for the night." Utau lounged back on the couch.

"How about... Ooh, **MY BOY**?"

**"Yeah, it might have been wrong of me to not listen to your worries...  
****So of course, it's OK if you can't tell me about everything  
****If you look gloomy, gloomy things will find you  
****It's a waste for you to carry on with these heavy feelings  
****Ride on!**

**"I know about how you can't say  
****"That's not right, it's like this", even if you wanted to  
****Surely the time will come when things will change entirely  
****This is that time!**

**"Don't you want to have someone congratulate you for the first time in your life?  
****If you let yourself feel today's breeze, it feels really nice, right?  
****You can even change the feeling of being at someone's mercy  
****into something you like; It's so nice!  
****What would you think if  
****everything was here for you? MY BOY!**

**"You hear, spread, and have rumors spread about you  
****It means you lead a worry-filled youth  
****Is whether you're popular or not the issue?  
****Do you want them to say you're a go-getter?  
****Come on!**

**"Go-getters have their own loneliness  
****Surely that's not on your path?  
****Someone who wants to hold hands is waiting somewhere  
****See, they're right there!**

**"Isn't it enough to have someone say congratulate you since you've been born?  
****Today's wind only blows today!  
****Because it's a digital world, people are careless and  
****they forget they're true selves  
****What would you do if  
****everything was here for you? MY BOY!**

**"Don't you want to have someone congratulate you for the first time in your life?  
****If you let yourself feel today's breeze, it feels really nice, right?  
****You can even change the feeling of being at someone's mercy  
****into something you like; It's so nice!  
****What would you think if  
****everything was here for you? MY BOY!**

"Hey, you should do one," Amu told me. "You have a pretty good voice."

"I guess..." I shrugged. "If you think so. I'll do... **Hana Tegami**."

**"Seasons always come and go  
****But where are they going at such a fast pace?  
****The wind beats against the window gently  
****I got invited to travel to a far-off land  
****I'll be gone for a bit, so don't cry  
****Let's make a pinky promise that we will certainly meet again.**

**"One, two, the flower petals scatter and disappeared in a remote country  
****I examined one of the memories I had that was hard to part with  
****And although people meet and depart, they meet again in some kind of cycle  
****This time spent with you has been an important treasure, so I never want to forget it**

**"In no time at all—"**

The sound of a phone ringing blared through the song. I flinched and hurriedly pressed pause of the karaoke machine. "Ahaha, that's mine. I'll get it." I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Nadeshiko!" Nagihiko chuckled, a nervous tone to his voice. In the background I coud hear loud, raucous noise. "Listen... um, we're at the restaurant... and..."

"Yeah?" I asked suspiciously.

"...Well, stuff happened..."

"Like what?"

"Tadase, Kairi and Ikuto got drunk." There was a loud crashing noise. "Really drunk."

"...Come again?"

"We didn't really plan on it... it's just, there was a mix-up with the waitress, and now Kairi's... well, being drunk, and kinda horny, and Ikuto's being attacked by girls, and Tadase's making out with some gay guy..."

"WHAT?! Nagihiko, what did you DO?!"

"It's not my fault!" He said hastily. "Like I said, there was a mix-up, and then they got drunk. I tried to stop it, I swear, I just... and, um, you might want to hurry. The manager is gonna kick us out."

I groaned. "We'll be there. See you."

"Bye," He shouted over some huge commotion.

I snapped my phone shut. "Girls, we have a problem."

* * *

Half an hour later, we parked the car by the curb and raced out to the sidewalk, where a shadowy group of boys. Two figures were restraining another two, slightly smaller figures that were shouting incoherently, while the largest of the lot was sitting on the curb with his head in his hands.

"What did they get themselves into?" Utau sighed in frustration. "We can't even leave them alone for a whole two hours!"

Amu moaned. "God, what are we going to do?"

"Well, I know what I'm going to do first," Rima growled, and stomped ahead of us. "NAGIHIKO!"

"Hey, guys," Nagihiko grunted, pulling Tadase back. "You're here."

"You idiot!" Rima yelled. "You got them drunk?!"

"By accident!" Nagihiko protested weakly. "It wasn't my fault!"

The two began to bicker. Unfortunately, it was a good distraction, and both Tadase and Kairi escaped and stumbled forward.

"Yaya," Kairi mumbled, and came forward, snatching a wide-eyed Yaya and began whispering seductively in her ear. Yaya went red and began to stutter, still frozen even as Kukai pulled Kairi off her and held him back.

"I GOT 'IZ NUMBER!" Hotori-kun yelled, waving a slip of paper into the air. He saw me, and suddenly his wild expression grew sober. "Nadesh-ko," He mumbled, and plodded forward. He grabbed my face and shoved his lips against mine, moving his hands to the back of my head and puling my hair out of its ponytail and sliding his fingers into my locks. He tasted like alcohol and apples.

"MMFPH!" I attempted to push him away, but thoughts were flooding out of my head, until I wasn't pushing him away but pulling him closer, wasn't thinking, only kissing him back, feeling an unfamiliar heat rising in my cheeks and sweetness filling my chest...

Suddenly the sensations that made me dizzy and disoriented were ripped away, and I staggered backward, panting and blinking.

...What just happened?

"Sorry, Nadeshiko!" Nagihiko panted, giving me an apologetic look. "Didn't hold on to him hard enough..."

I blinked, and then recovered. "Oh, yeah. It's okay. He's drunk." Probably nothing.

"God, he drinks just a little and goes completely nuts," Kukai rumbled. "Even kissed a guy."

My stomach dropped. "Oh, yeah, how embarrassing. Completely out of character. No way he'd ever do that in real life."

"Right!" I sighed inwardly in relief.

Utau stormed up to Ikuto and dragged him to his feet. He looked at her mournfully. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" She demanded.

Ikuto groaned. "I'm sorry."

"You better be," Utau threatened. "God, I swear I'm gonna kill you! You got both yourself and two underage guys drunk! What's the matter with you?! You could've been arrested, dumbass!" She grabbed the front of his shirt, calling over her shoulder, "I'm gonna drive this idiot home. I'll see you guys later."

"Hey, I'll come with. I should drive," Kukai hurried forward.

Utau gave him a dirty look. "No, you're staying here, because you need to watch Kairi." She growled in frustration. "Ugh, you guys are so IMMATURE!" And with that, she snatched the keys from his pocket, stomped over to his car, unloced the door, tossed Ikuto inside, and slammed the door to the driver's side shut and peeled out.

"...So," Nagihiko asked sheepishly, "What now?"

I looked at Hotori-kun, who had drooped in Nagi's arms and was snoring. "Why don't you and I take Hotori-kun home?"

"Yaya and I can take Kairi home," Kukai offered glumly.

"I can go with you guys," Amu offered.

"Then, I'll help Nade-chan and Crossdresser," Rima shot Nagi a furious look.

Nagi pouted. "You promised you wouldn't call me that anymore."

"That was before you let your underage friends get so drunk that you got banned from a restaurant."

The two began to bicker again. I rolled my eyes and pinched Tadase's shoulder,making sure he was unconscious, and hoisted his right arm over my shoulder, grunting. "Nagihiko. Get the other arm."

"My keys are in my front right pocket," Nagi told Rima. "Could you get them?"

Rima flushed. "Ew! No way!"

"Rima..." Nagi said, exasperated.

"Fine." She huffed, then tentatively slid her hand into his pocket. "Wait... where is it?" She dug her hand in deeper. "Here it is." She produced a key. "And your car, Crossdresser?"

Nagi sighed. "Over there by the stop sign. Third one to the left."

We dragged the drooling Tadase over to the car, where he groaned, slipping off our shoulders and threw up right next to Nagi's feet, spattering a little sick over his shoes.

Nagi flinched. "I probably deserve that."

"Yes," I told him. "Yes, you do."

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	25. Why You NEVER Let Kairi Drink!

******Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, or DEEP MIND by Buono!**

* * *

**Yaya**

Kukai, Amu and I sat in the back seat with Kairi, awkwardly glancing at each other in embarrassment. Yukari-san drove in the front seat, sighing in frustration.

"I can't believing you got him drunk," She fumed. "How could you get my poor little brother drunk?!"

"It's not our fault, it was Kukai's fault!" Amu protested.

"Hey!" Kukai crossed his arms. "I didn't order the drinks, and I helped try and make it better."

"Yeah, you guys just showed up late," Daichi told us girls.

"Don't blame this on us!" Ran told him furiously. "It's not our fault!"

"So immature—"

"—I'm not the one who—"

"Don't blame her, and besides, you—"

"I don't care! You and your friends, who are underage, got drunk and banned from a restaurant! You guys could be in a detention center or something. They could press charges. I can't believe you'd be so iresponsible. You didn't even contact an adult, you just let your drunk friends rampant until it got really bad!"

"We're really sorry," Amu said in a small voice. "We seriously didn't mean to..."

Yukari-san saighed and kept driving.

The apartment structure that she, Nikaidou-sensai and Kairi shared rose into the distance, a sleek black building with tall glass floor-to-ceiling windows and its own apartment structure connected to the apartment floors. After showing her resident's card to the ticket-booth and parking on the sixth floor, she ordered us out of the sudan.

"Come on, hurry up!" She said impatiently as we groaned, attempting to drag a heavy Kairi with his heels dragging across the lot and into the apartment entered apartment number 17C.

It was, as always, sparkling clean (courtesy of the plastered guy we were carrying) a living area right upon entering with a small modern kitchen with marble countertops and a small island to our immediate right. On the far side of the room, past the square white couches and the plain glass coffee tables and the large flatscreen TV was a floor to ceiling glass window that had a great view of the many other apartment buildings and complexes in the distance. A short hallway to the left, and the master bedroom (which Kairi had warned me never to enter if I didn't want to be emotionally scarred for the rest of my life) and Kairi's freakishly clean bedroom as well as a family bathroom, a guest room and a linen closet.

Nikaidou-sensei was sitting on the couch, looking bored as he multi-tasked from flipping channels and grading large stacks of schoolwork, the one on top with handwriting that looked suspiciously like Amu's and was gathering quite a bit of red ink. He looked up as we entered, and his eyes went back and forth from Yukari-san, the three of us, and Drunk Guy. "Should I even ask?"

"These guys got some of their friends drunk and ravaged a restaurant and got kicked out. And they're all underage."

Nikaidou-sensei sighed, looking at each of us with a piercing gaze. "That's disappointing. Do you all understand how irresponsible that was? Someone could've gotten hurt. I expected better of all of you."

The three of us kept our heads down, feeling ashamed. "It wont happen again, sir,"

"Now help Kairi into bed," Nikaidou said sternly.

The three of us pushed our way into Kairi's room, pulling down the covers and setting him upright. I managed to drag his shoes and hoodie off, and we laid him down on his bed, pulling up the covers. I felt something tickle my neck and heard a slithering sound, but decided it was nothing.

"He's in bed now," Kukai nodded as we exited the room.

"Good. Yuu and I will be busy with work, and we don't have a lot of time off. One of you should care for him while we're working, seeing as you were the ones that got him like this in the first place."

I spoke up tentatively, ignoring the swooping sensation in my gut. "I'll do it."

"Fine, then." Yukari looked at her watch. "I should probably go get stuff to help Kairi deal with his hangover tomorrow. You kids need to get going, your parents are probably worried."

"I can go with you," Yuu offered. The two exited the apartment, sending us one last disappointed look over their shoulders before they were gone.

"Let's go," Amu told us quietly.

As we left and came into the hallway, I reached a hand up absently to rub my bow necklace, which I realized was not there. "Oh, no!"

"What is it?" Amu and Kukai stopped to look at me.

"My necklace! I lost it!" I thought back frantically. "I had it just a little while ago... maybe I dropped it in the apartment?"

"Do you want us to help you look?" Amu asked.

I waved them off. "No, I'l be fine. I'll just go back and check. See you guys tomorrow."

"All right, if you're sure. See you."

I turned back and slipped through the apartment door, getting down on my hands and knees and trying to search. There was nothing. Desperate, I opened the door to Kairi's room and peeked in.

There! On the floor net to the bed. I tip-toed inside and picked it up off the floor, lifting aside my hair and reattatching it safely around my neck once more. I glanced at the bed. Kairi was laying very still with his eyes closed, the sounds of soft breathing filling the room. He looked so peaceful... I leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek before I could stop myself.

His eyelids fluttered open, and I jumped back hurriedly. "Ahaha, you're awake. Go back to—"

Kairi sat up lightning-fast and put a hand behind my neck. He pulled my lips to his, moving them slowly against mine, cradling my neck and stroking my cheek with a rough, calloused hand. My heart stopped.

"Ahmph—!" I wriggled in surprise, trying to escape, but his fingers slid down to my hips, causing me to shudder as he pulled me onto his lap. With way more effort than there should've been (I mean, he was drunk for goodness sakes) I pulled away and tried to focus. "W-What are you doing?" I said, shocked and appalled. "Stop."

"No." He kissed me again, sliding his hands into my hair. I felt his tongue, salt mixed with sweet alcohol, run a wet line across my bottom lip and enter my mouth. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe...

Kairi's lips left my mouth and left an hot, wet trail from my jawbone, down my neck. He bit a soft junction between my neck and my shoulder, and I hear myself squeak. "Don't..."

He ignored me. I whimpered as he fingered my bra strap, sliding it off my shoulder. "Please..." I begged. "Kairi, you wouldn't...I mean, you wouldn't really..."

Kairi chuckled, looking at me through half-lidded, seductive eyes. I don't think I'd ever been so terrified of him before. "So you would," I mumbled.

The sound of a door opening caused fresh, icy fear to fill my veins, and I began to struggle anew. Suddenly there were covers over the two of us, his body hovering over me, and his lips were on mine, muffling the little noises now trapped in the back of my throat. I caught a glimpse of Kairi's eyes, and he grinned at me.

Voices, crinkling bags and the sound of footsteps came closer and closer still until I heard the door open; my heart seemed to stutter in my chest. A hand patted the top of my head.

"Poor thing," I heard Yukari-san say. "Ah, well. Time for bed, Yuu."

The door snapped shut, and I let out a shaky breath, and eyed Kairi. In a move that Nadeshiko had taught me, I'd pinched an area close to his shoulder, and he'd passed out cold. Wherever she had learned that, I was thankful.

Until, of course, I realized that now I was trapped underneath him, unable to get out. Stupid alcohol.

It was going to be a_ very_ long night.

* * *

_In the depths of a lengthening evening, a short man in a business suit strode down the sidewalk, hurrying to get to his car and drive home to his family. From the shadows under his eyes and the bow of his spine, it had been a long day at the office. Just a little farther, and he'd reach the bus stop, where a small line of people, both old and young, stood waiting._

_The quiet presence of a person behind him made the businessman turn around in curiosity. Like in so many cases, there was not a visible soul. Sratching his head and shrugging, he turned back, only to be surprised by a scruffy man with unshaven cheeks and red-rimmed, fathomless black eyes. Taking a step back in shock, he gave an uncertain smile to the man, excusing himself and attempting to step around the ruffian, only to have the man grab his arm._

_Turning impatiently to free himself, he noticed, once more meeting the homeless' flat gaze, that he could not see the whites of his eyes. It was almost as if they weren't there._

_The invalid opened his mouth, full of dirtying yellow teeth, and hissed mysterious words harshly, tightening his grip on the businessman's arm. A cold trickle of fear and doubt spilled into the man's heart, and he tried to pull away, but it was too late._

_Darkness overtook the man's vision, and he felt his knees hit the hard concrete. As if from a distance, he heard the fading sounds of the bus he would no longer take home drive off, its passengers and driver unaware that at that very moment, one more among countless had succumbed._

* * *

Sunlight trickled onto my eyelids and caused me to stir sleepily, snuggling into this warmth and away from the chill. It was as if a midight breeze had snuck into the room and was just lingering on my skin. I felt a quiet exhale on my neck, and felt his embrace tighten ever so slightly. I could stay in this bed with Kairi forever...

Oh, crap!

I gasped and flailed for a second, and fell out of the bed and flat on my face. "Oof!"

Kairi, still asleep, groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. I freaked out and snatched up my clothes, racing out the room and falling back against the door, panting. The embarrassingly erotic memory of last night seemed to have been burned into my mind... along with the soft carresses on my skin and the symphony of lips, tongue and teeth. I shivered, trying to clear my head.

Gosh, what was I going to do? I was trying to hide from a guy who I'd shared a drunken, steamy encounter with last night. And I was in love with him. I almost laughed as I remembered my friends' jokes on how Kairi was going to ravish me in my underwear. Oh, thank heavens I was still in my dress...

Calm down, I told myself. First you need to figure out what to do.

Crap. I groaned and put my head in my hands. I was supposed to be at home right now. My parents must be going crazy right now. And if I turned up in the same clothes from last night...

I sighed, trying to think. I had to take care of Kairi, I'd never forgive myself if I left him here all day in this state. Plus, I'd promised Yukari-san. I'd just have to deal with with my parents if I went home. Then, if I got back quickly, I could at least attempt to pretend it never happened and take care of him.

I heard faint retching sounds on the other side. Pressing my ear to the door, I could hear shaky breathing and groans of pain.

My mind was made up. I got to my feet and opened the apartment door, glancing back once, and then disappearing.

* * *

_Yaya, currently being fiercely chewed out by her parents, was occupied, which made her completely unaware of the fact that today's guardian character meeting was taking place some miles away in Amu's house. Not that Amu was aware of this fact. No, she was singing at the top of her lungs in a (rather off-key) rendition of** DEEP MIND by Buono!**._

_The other ex-guardians were also elswhere. Tadase was drooling away, still fast asleep in his bed and sleeping the night off. Nadeshiko was attempting (and failing) to preform traditional Japanese dance with the help of her twin. Kukai was at soccer practice. Rima was attempting to convince her parents that it was a bad idea to lock her in a chastity belt inside her room inside a tower with no windows, doors or stairs. Or, if you were Ikuto, your younger sister Utau was mutlitasking by alternately threatenining to throttle you as well as feed you hot broth that she keeps "accidentally" spilling onto some bare portion of your body._

_"I have some news," Pepe burst into the room, where the others were already assembled._

_"Commoner. You're late," Kiseki sniffed._

_"Don't be obnoxious," Miki admonished. "Perhaps something came up." For once, Kiseki did not argue, but only glanced at the navy-haired fashionable chara and muttered to himself, an undetectable blush on his cheeks._

_"So, anyways, Project Amuto isn't going well," Ran reported with a glum look on her face. "Unfortunately, all our attempts to get them back together are failing. We'll keep trying, though," She added in a brighter tone._

_"As it goes, Rima's still pretty mad at Nagi, but I think that'll wear off soon enough," Kusukusu said cheerfully, snuggling into Rhythm's chest._

_"Didn't you and Rhythm break up?" Su asked curiously, looking between the two._

_Rhythm shook his head. "Nope. That was just to fool Rima and Nagi. I would never date Miki." He threw Miki an apologetic look. "Not that you're not very attractive and desirable."_

_"Kukai got Utau to forgive him... after about a billion text messages and a promise to pay for the next ramen competition no matter who wins." Daichi shrugged. "We're okay."_

_"And what about Tadase and Nadeshiko?" Suzu asked Azumi curiously. "You said that she doesn't feel that way about him, right? Was that really true?"_

_Azumi smiled mysteriously. "What do you think?"_

_"So guess what!" Pepe interrupted. "I've got some... news." She sweat-dropped._

_"What kind of news?" Daichi wondered._

_Pepe sighed. "Um... so, you know how Amu and Kukai and Yaya took Kairi home?" The other shugo chara nodded. "Um... and how when Amu and Kukai left, and Yaya stayed to try and find her bow necklace? Well, uh, she did... and I kinda ran out after it started... but, what I do know is that Kairi... sorta, kinda, made out with Yaya. Drunkenly, and from the sounds, maybe... might've... taken off her clothes and..."_

_"Oh, no!" Ran squealed._

_Miki giggled nervously. "So... what you're saying is... they might've... might've had..." She gestured with her hands. Suzu covered her face with her hands._

_Su cocked her head to the side. "What? What is it?"_

_"Ah..." Ran, Miki and Dia hurried over to cover innocent little Su's ears. "So, bad news," Dia said hurriedly._

_(Ever since that day in Biology, the guardian characters had never been the same.)_

_Pepe sighed. "I dunno if Yaya will ever be able to look at Kairi ever again, let alone kiss him or... anything, without..."_

_"Exercise is healthy," Daichi said, attempting to be optimistic and earning several red-faced glares._

_"Exercise?" Azumi wondered. (Apparently Nadshiko had kept the secret of the birds and the bees hidden from Azumi.) "What do you mean?"_

_While Rhythm and Temari attempted to explain sex to Azumi, (whose eyes were widening and cheeks were reddening by the second) the other shugo chara were trying to figure out a new course of actin._

_"Well, obviously, Amu and Ikuto need to make up," Dia nodded. "Their radiance is even duller than before. But, how, is the question."_

_"Sakuramatsuri is coming up," Ran mused. "A chance for romance under the cherry blossoms?"_

_"Why don't we get them to make up, and then have them go to Cherry Blossom Festival together?" Temari suggested, patting a tearful Azumi consolingly on the back (Nade told me a happy white bunny comes with flowers and when they bloom, a baby comes out of it... She lied!)_

_"We just have to get Nagi to bombard Rima with stupid texts until he annoys her into forgiving him, that's what he usually does anyways," Rhythm said._

_Miki sighed. "And then, Amu and Ikuto..."_

_"How do you solve something like this, anyways?" Suzu wondered._

_"We'll get it!" Ran said hopefully. "Maybe get them alone or something and force them to talk it out?"_

_"What about Yaya and Kairi?" Pepe whined. "They should come first!"_

_"Well, why don't we—"_

_And at that precise moment Amu burst into her roo. "AHHH! Gosh, that shower was so refreshing..." She stopped and looked over at her bed. "Oh, Ran, Miki, Su, Dia! Good, you're awake... Why are you smiling like that?"_

_"Nothing, nothing," Dia said airily, shoving Rhythm and Kusukusu even farther under the bed sheets with her foot._

* * *

Humming softly to myself in the kitchen while slowly stirring a small pot of soup, my Super Special Secret Magic Get-Well Broth, I lifted the spoon and sipped from it. A mix of chicken broth, star-shaped noodles, and a dash of secret ingredient seemed like the perfect cure for Kairi's hangover.

Speaking of, Kairi sat huddled on the couch, who was sitting in the living room hidden under the sheets with the lights turned off. A half-eaten sunnyside-up egg sat on the coffe table. Every so often, he'd groan and shift around, then peek his head up over the sheets, wincing, and ask for something to drink. Actually, I wasn't quite sure whether he actually knew that I was the one who was taking care of him, because he kept asking me who I was, blinking up and squinting like he couldn't see my face.

Finished with the soup, I made my way over to where he lay sniffling and set down the broth, tugging back the covers gently. "Lunchtime," I called softly.

Kairi moaned and yanked the covers over his head again and hunched over in the opposite direction. I stifled a laugh.

"Come on, you gotta eat up," I said consolingly, although really I was enjoying this very much. "You'll feel better afterwards."

He peeked one grouchy eye up over the comforter, glaring at me, and then huddled again.

I sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this..." I snatched the ends of the blankets and ripped them off him, exposing him to the bright light coming in from the glass window.

"AAARGH! I CAN"T SEE!" He yelled, and curled into a ball, burying his face in his knees. He mumbled, "That was mean," in a quiet voice.

"Yes. Yes, it was," I told him. That's what he gets for what he did to me last night. "Now, eat. It'll make you feel better."

He grumbled like whined like a child, which was hilarious as well as victorious because of how few times I'd seen him act so childish and immature like me.

I hunched down next to him, careful not to touch him, and began coaxing him to open his mouth. "Here comes the plane! Nyaaaroooow..." He opened his mouth and closed on the spoon. "Whoop!" I pulled it out and spooned up some more, barely holding in the laughter that was bubbling up from my throat. "Here it comes again! Nyaaaroow—"

Kairi took my hand and pulled the spoon from my grip. "I can feed myself, you know," He said, pouting, and glomped the soup on the spoon.

I giggled and threw the comforter over him, snickering when he immediately grabbed at it and hid himself underneath, completely disregarding the soup. "You better finish that soup. I worked hard on that."

"No, you didn't," His voice was muffled. "All that recipe is is chicken broth, star-shaped noodles and salt."

"Nuh-uh! It's got magic in it, too!"

He huffed. "No, it doesn't. There's no such thing as magic." He stuck out a hand and waved it around vaguely, poking his head out for a moment before hissing like a cat and huddling inside his little cave again.

* * *

_"Ohayo," The businessman called as he entered the small apartment. The smell of curry wafted through from the tiny kitchen and swirled around his nose._

_A tiny boy of three years, with bright, clear brown eyes, curly dark hair and a round, cherubic face rammed into his father. "DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY—"_

_"Ah, you're home." A young woman with shoulder-length dark hair and clear eyes to match the child's came around the corner, wearing a dirty apron over a crinkled pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She had a tiny baby strapped to her chest, a baby girl with the same face as her brother's except for the grey eyes from her father. "Welcome home, Isao," The woman said, her eyes tired but happy. "Dinner's almost ready." She kissed him on the cheek._

_Isao smiled and held her closer, kissing her back and pulling his child up into his arms. "Hello, Makoto. Beautiful as always. And how's my little Mei?"_

_The baby watched her father with a reproachful, distrusting expression on her face, as if she sensed something was wrong. The mother, however, did not notice._

_Makoto laughed. "Silly. And Kiyoshi, stop hanging on Daddy's leg."_

_The little boy Kiyoshi giggled and tumbled onto the ground, burying his face in his father's leg. "I missed you, Daddy."_

_The man smiled. For the tiniest second, the original grey was replaced by flat black, and he doubled over in pain, gasping and clutching his chest._

_**Do not fight**, the voice in his mind whispered._

_"Daddy? What's wrong?" The child asked curiously._

_The man straightened and frowned, as if confused. Then he shook his head and shrugged, unaware of the ongoing fight within his own subconscious. "Nothing at all. Let's go eat dinner."_

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	26. Tadase Gets Sparkle Attacked!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, or Tamago to Watashi!**

* * *

**Tadase**

"Rise and shine, sleepy!" A voice sung above me, and with a loud _whsssk_ of curtains being drawn, bright light filled my room.

"Mmm..." I groaned and buried my face into my pillow. Suddenly my covers were yanked off my body and my pillow was no longer under my head. "Oof!"

Fujisaki-san grinned. "Nice bedhead, Hotori-kun. Now get up, we have places to go."

"Whaaa?" I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "What's going on? How did you get in my room?"

Kiseki poked his head out of his shell. "So much noise... Do not disturb the king."

Azumi flew over and began dumped him out. "Wakey-wakey!"

Fujisaki-san giggled. "Your mom let me in. And it's almost eight, on a Sunday even. How are you still asleep?"

"Eight? On our day off?" I grabbed my alarm clock. "Why are you waking me up so early?" I asked, glancing wistfully at my bed.

"You've got a date, remember?" She poked my shoulder. "At twelve. Don't want you to be late, right?"

"Date...? Oh, yeah." My shoulders drooped. "Do I have to?"

"Of course, silly." She sat down next to me, bumping my shoulder. "Look, I know you were drunk and have practically no idea who this guy is, but you have his phone number, and you promised to go on a date with him."

"But, wouldn't it be kind of rude?" I protested. "Telling him I don't even remember his name... Fujisaki-san, I don't even remember what he looks like..."

She shrugged. "Apparently you thought he was "a pretty one" even when you were under the influence. And a guy willing to accept an apology date from a stranger that made out with him has to be a good guy. I hear from Nagi that he even offered to help get you and Kairi home."

"A loyal subject." Kiseki nodded.

"I suppose so... But, why are you even here?"

"To help you get ready!" Azumi said cheerfully.

"... But, how? I just have to make myself presentable, right? Simple enough." I sweat-dropped as she shook her head, tutting. "Right?"

"Oh, Tadase. So much to learn." She grabbed my arm and dragged me over to my dresser and began digging through it, holding up different shirts. "White? No, you always wear that... blue, maybe? Houndstooth?...Why do you even have this pink thing in your wardrobe? God, why do you have the same shirt in different colors? I'm gonna have to take you shopping one of these days... Green, no... purple, no... Seriously, Hotori-kun, you shouldn't even include these overalls in your daily wardrobe. I swear, my brother has better taste in clothes than you do... and probably Kairi and Kukai, maybe even Tsukiyomi."

"Why do all my friends criticize my clothes?" I mumbled.

"Because you're the kind of guy that would wear black stockings and ecru open-toe sandals. And cargo shorts."

"But, it's comfortable!" I protested.

She gave me a look. "Black socks with sandals? Really?"

"I don't like showing my toes," I muttered. "And I like my clothes."

"Poor wardrobe is a sign of low self-esteem," Azumi said knowingly.

She clucked her tongue. "Ah, I guess I can work with this..." She cut her eyes at me. "You need to start buying more clothes that aren't white."

"But it's a good shade!"

"A kingly shade," Kiseki added.

She ignored me and pulled open another drawer. "Huh. How about... yes, these are nice." She freed a pair of pants and turned to rummage through my closet. "Aha! This is perfect!" She thrust the clothes into my arms. "Go take a nice hot shower and then put these on."

"But—"

"Go!"

Half an hour later, I was twiddling my thumbs, feeling slightly embarrassed and strange as Fujisaki-san walked in a slow circle around me. My stomach rumbled. "Fujisaki-san... can we eat now?"

"My kingly stomach is hungry," Kiseki grumbled.

I was wearing a collared navy shirt, with short sleeves and all the buttons undone down the front, and a grey t-shirt with a v-shaped neck that fit nicely. She'd also made me wear dark jeans and my new white sneakers.

"Just one more thing!" She sat me down in a chair. "Let's comb your hair." She produced a wet comb and pulled it firmly down my head. "Oh, good, you don't have that many knots."

I breathed in sharply as her hands brushed the hair back from my forehead, then frowned, unable to fathom the sudden butterflies that were fluttering around in my stomach.

She bent down and looked at me curiously, piercing amber eyes meeting mine. "Something wrong, Hotori-kun?"

I felt my heart stutter as her face neared mine, and my brow deepened further. "I don't think so."

She shrugged and continued to comb my hair. "Geez, your hair's soft..." I felt her fingers run through my hair slowly. "You're so blonde."

"Is that—" My voice came out uneven, and I cleared my throat. What was going on? "Is that bad?"

"No, no, there's nothing wrong with being blonde. It's just, usually blond-hair darkens when you get older, but it looks like yours never did." She finished combing my hair and stepped back to admire her work. "There."

I looked at myself in the mirror. "Hey, no more bedhead!"

She chuckled. "You look great. Now let's go eat."

Downstairs in the kitchen, my mother was already cooking breakfast, humming to herself as the smell of sausages, eggs, bacon and chocolate-chip pancakes.

Azumi breathed in deeply. "Ooh, bacon!"

"Hello, Hotori-san!" Fujisaki-san said brightly. "He's all ready!"

My mother turned and smiled at me. "Ah, good! All ready for your date! You look so handsome."

I laughed. "Thank you, mother. Breakfast smells wonderful."

She beamed. "I hope it does. When your friend showed up, I knew I'd finally found a young woman worthy of you."

"Mom!" The two of us flushed. "We're not dating!And besides, I'm going on a date with someone else!"

She winked. "Ah, yes, but just remember, Tadase, it's only a first date. Still plenty of time to settle things with this young lady."

"Mom!"

"Why don't we start eating?" Fujisaki-san said hurriedly. "Ooh, are those chocolate-chip pancakes?"

"CHOCOLATE!" Kiseki rushed forward, attempting to dive headfirst into the open bag of chocolate chips, only to be stopped by a scolding Azumi who had a strong grip on the back of his cape.

"DO NOT DENY THE KING OF HIS CHOCOLATE!" Kiseki shouted.

"BE QUIET FOR ONCE, YA EGOTISTICAL MANIAC!" Azumi roared. Kiseki shut up quick, and she smiled sweetly. "Good boy." She patted his head like a puppy.

Fujisaki-san and I sat down and took empty plates and silverware as my mother set down hot plates of steaming chocolatey pancakes, a platter filled with bacon and sausages, and two boiled eggs. "I hope you don't mind boiled eggs, but Tadase loves them," My mother said.

"I love them, too!" Fujisaki-san plucked one of the plate and bit into it, smiling. "Yum!"

One bite, and soft, sweet cakey pancake fand gooey, melty chocolate filled my tastebuds. "Mmmm..."

Fujisaki-san swallowed the rest of her egg and forked a stack of pancakes. "Ooh, yum," She gushed, getting a little chocolate nex to her mouth.

"Ah, Fujisaki-san, you've got a little..." I motioned to her cheek. She blushed, and swiped at it with her finger and stuck it in her mouth.

"Heh. A little messy." She looked at me. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "Eh, I didn't realize." Probably just zoning out.

The bacon was crunchy and fatty, the sausages were juicy and spicy, and the eggs were soft and delicious; nothing, however, could compare to the chocolate-chip pancakes.

When there was nothing left, I sat back, feeling full and warm and even a little sleepy. "Thanks again, Mother."

Fujisaki-san sighed. "Ah, so it's almost ten-thirty now. We still have a couple hours until the date. What to do, what to do...?"

"Why don't you two go for a walk?" My mother suggested. "It's a beautiful day."

"That sounds nice," Fujisaki-san nodded. The two of us stood. "That was a delicious breakfast, Hotori-san."

"Call me Auntie." My mother smiled. "Now, you two have fun."

The two of us walked out and into the bright morning sunshine. I had a strong impression that my mother was trying to set us up together. If only people realized that we didn't like each other like that.**  
**

"So, this is really nice weather," Fujisaki-san said, smiling up at the sky.

"Huh. I suppose it is." I looked at her. "You seem... different today."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes fixed on me.

I pursed my lips. "Well, I wouldn't really say different... but it's just, it's like something isn't there. Like you were carrying something around, and now you're not."

"What are you trying to say?" She stated cooly, raising an eyebrow.

I came to a stop and fixed her with my gaze. "I mean, for the time that I've known you, you always seemed a little sad. Like something bad happened. But you always hid it really well."

"Hotori-kun..."

"Sometimes I catch you staring off into the distance, like you're somewhere else. and when you come back, you look like you'd give anything to be where you'd disappeared to. You seem happy, but it's always there in your eyes. Like you've been hurt and you're pretending like you're not. I think..." I hesitated. "I think, maybe, something bad happened. Something you don't want anyone, even your friends, to know. But, what are you trying to hide?"

Fujisaki-san lifted her head and glared at me. Her huge amber eyes were glassy and full of anger, as well as something hidden behind it all. "Hotori-kun..." Her voice quavered.

"Oh, no!" I hurried forward, feeling sheepish. "God, Fujisaki-san, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you... That was mean of me. I shouldn't have said something so—"

She stiffened at my touch and stepped away, turning her back. "It's fine."

"No, it wasn't, It was tactless and hurtful, and I'm really sorry..." I reached up and gripped her shoulder tightly. "Please, Fujisaki-san, can you forgive me?"

She sniffled and turned to look at me, then nodded, rubbing her eyes. "But you have to buy me ice cream or something."

I chuckled weakly, still feeling embarrassed. "Anything you want."

For a moment, she was quiet. "Anything?" She looked up, her tawny eyes huge and reflecting all sorts of dazzling light, delicate petal lips opened just slightly.

I nodded, feeling strangely paralyzed. "Mmhm."

"Promise?" Her eyes sparkled.

"S-Sure."

"Yay!" She smiled again.

I realized she'd just sparkle-attacked me. My jaw dropped. "Hey!"

She laughed and nudged me with her shoulder. "I get anything I want!"

"But—But you—" I spluttered.

She wagged a finger at me. "Ah-ah-ah! You promised! Haha! Best apology present ever!"

I groaned. "How did you do that?"

"My sparkle-attack is way better than yours!" She said gleefully, poking me in the shoulder. "Now, let's see, what do I want? Ice cream is nice, and maybe some crepes, too. Oh, and there's this outfit that I passed a while back..."

"I'm going on a date!" I said desperately. "I can't buy you all that stuff!"

"Fine. Then how about at Sakuramatsuri?" She grinned evily. "Sound good?"

I pouted. "I guess so."

"Perfect. And..." She checked her watch. "Your date is in about an hour, which is at the_ Tamago to Watashi._ You got cash to pay, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" I smacked my forehead.

Fujisaki-san sighed impatiently. "Don't do that. You'll get brain damage or something. Here." She handed me some cash.

"You don't have to do that," I protested. "I can run home and get some money."

"Nah, the restaurant is about a half hour away with a fifteen-minute wait at the least. You need to get going."

"But..."

"This is your first date with a guy, right? We gotta make sure everything goes well." She took my hand and pulled me gently down the sidewalk.

"Are you sure you can't come along?" I asked, feeling slightly nervous. "I mean, what if I say the wrong thing?"

She smiled. "Just be yourself. "

"That's what everyone says," I muttered. "But if the real me is a crazy dictator bent on world domination."

She chuckled. "Well, I suppose that wouldn't go very well... Hold on a sec." She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a Bluetooth. "I you hook this up to your phone and keep your phone in your front pocket, then I can talk to you freely."

I took the device and put it in my ear, looking at her gratefully. "It's kind of you to do this for me."

She winked. "I probably won't even need to tel you anything, smooth guy. I'm sure everything will go perfectly."

* * *

I sat nervously in a booth in the bright, airy and crowded restaurant, one of my knees bouncing as I twiddled with my fingers. One look at my watch told me it was 12:03 pm.

Fujisaki-san's voice, a hushed whisper, tickled my ear. "Stop fiddling." I stopped. "Don't worry, he should be there soon. Take a couple of deep breaths." I did sp, then exhaled.

"It's not working."

"Is that him?" She said abruptly. "Ooh, he is a looker," I heard her mutter.

I looked up to see a very handsome guy walk into the restaurant and look around. He had ruffled black hair, electric blue eyes, and pale cheeks. He had a strong jaw and an easygoing, relaxed walk with hands in his pockets. The fitted v-neck grey shirt and dark jeans seemed to accentuate his eyes further. When he spotted me, he smiled cheerfully.

"Hello. Are you Tadase Hotori?" I nodded, and he held out a hand for me to shake. I took it. "My name's Yoichi Sakamoto. It's very nice to meet you."

"H-Hi, Sakamoto-san." I cleared my throat.

"You can call me Yoichi-kun."

"Ask him to sit down," Fujisaki-san whispered.

"P-Please, sit down," I stammered.

He smiled and sat. "So, it's nice to actually meet you."

I nodde, unsure of what to say. Fujisaki-san hissed, "Start by apologizing!"

I gulped. "So, I'm glad you agreed to come and meet me. I'm sorry about... um... falling onto your lap and kissing you." I blushed.

Yoichi-kun chuckled. "It's all right. You were drunk, after all, so it wasn't entirely your fault. And anyways, you're making it up to me by inviting me on a lunch date."

"Mmhmm." I search around in my head wildly for something else "So, what would you like to eat?"

"Mmm... This Eggs Benedict sounds really good," Yoichi mused. "Or perhaps this Garden Omelet? They both sound delicious..."

"Ask if he wants to get both and share half of each with you," Fujisaki-san urged.

"Um, would you like to get both? We, um, we can split them in half and share."

"What a good idea!" He laughed.

I sighed in relief. "Uh..."

Fujisaki-san hissed, "Tell me about yourself."

"Tell me about yourself," I repeated.

"Well..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'm a doctor at the Osaka Medical Centre and Research Institute."

My eyes widened. "Really? That's amazing."

He grinned. "Thanks. It took me a while to get there, but I'm a lucky one to be a doctor and still be in my twenties. Although how I managed to pass college at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, I have no idea."

"Oh." I lowered my eyes, feeling strange. "What about when you were little?"

"Ah, I lived in the country before. Small high school, about 300 hundred kids, way up in the mountains. It's a beautiful place, and the people are great, but I've always wanted to be a doctor, so I came here."

"You followed your dream?" I smiled softly. "Not a lot of people have the courage to do that."

He ran a finger across the condensation on his glass of water, drawing tiny pictures and words. "So, what about you?"

I looked down at my hands. "I'm still in high school."

"I see." I glanced up and saw him smile. "I thought that might be it. Most guys my age are aware of how much alcohol you can take. You're... how old?"

"Seventeen." I felt tiny compared to him.

"Twenty-seven." His eyes met mine. "Pretty big difference."

I swallowed. "I know."

"Let me guess." He sipped from his glass. "You were planning on just forgetting the whole thing, but someone convinced you to ask me on a date to make up."

I twiddled my thumbs. "Y-Yes," I admitted. "One of my friends. But, I really am sorry."

"It's fine," He said gently. "And," He winked, "It'll be a great story to tell. Why were you drunk, anyways? You are only seventeen..."

"Well..." I laughed nervously. "Do you... do you promise you won't tell anyone?"

Yoichi-kun held up a hand. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

"It was supposed to be a guy's night out," I said regretfully. "Actually, I don't remember much from that night. All I know is what my friends told me. One of my friends, Nagihiko, said that the waitress lady got our table alcoholic drinks after my other friend—he's overage—ordered one. The last thing I remembered was talking to my friends, and then the drinks arrived at the table, andeverything from there is black. My friend Rima says Nagi let a bunch of other drinks come until we caused a lot of chaos."

"I remember that you got drunk, and I think a green-haired friend of yours as well. The one who was shouting evolution theories and some perverted things about a girl named... Yaya?"

"Ahaha, yes, that would be him."

Yoichi chuckled. "And I do believe you were threatening to take your shirt off at some point, and then run around on top of the tables and swing on the lamps."

"Really?" I covered my face. "That's... I mean, that's...

"And then, you were talking about some guy's sister and how she was pretty and smart and pretty and a good kisser, and then you got up on the table, shouted that the LGBTQ community 'wazzin' doin' nuthin' wron,' landed in my lap and shoved your tongue into my mouth."

"Oh, dear."

"So... you're bisexual, then?" He questioned me.

I sighed. "Yes."

"When did you realize?" He asked, placing his hand atop mine.

I closed my eyes. "When I found out? Wow, it has to have been... almost two years, I think. I'd had crushes on guys before as well as girls, but I didn't think it was different from anyone else. I just assumed everyone went through it, and that someday you'd... choose.

"I was in tenth grade, and I was over at one of my friend's houses for a Christmas party. There were two guys, my friend's brother and the other man, that stuck close to each other. I didn't think anything of it, but then later, when everyone was together, my friend's brother stood up and announced that he was gay, and the man was his boyfriend. And the looks on everyone's faces... They were happy, of course, really happy, but shocked. Like they'd never suspected it.

"And that's when I realized, loving a guy, and a girl, that wasn't... that wasn't what a lot of people went through. One or the other, not both. And I admit at first, I wanted to deny it, but the more I thought about it and contemplated it, the more I noticed how I felt around other guys as well as girls was the same..." I trailed off.

Yoichi was silent for a moment. Then, "I was around the same age as you. I was a freshman. Me, I'd always known that I was gay, the same way a straight person does. It was just obvious to me." He laughed bitterly. "And when I came out, so many just looked at me in fear, or in spite, or worst of all, in pity... And then there were those that 'tolerated' me, like I had something wrong with me and they were just trying to be 'good people'. But... it mattered so much to me back then, and I was so angry and hurt all the time. I realize now, it doesn't matter what other people think. There isn't anyone alive that is anything like me; I'm unique, important. Nothing anyone ever says is going to make me change that."

"I..."

Fujisaki-san's voice. "Tell the truth."

"I haven't told very many people yet," I whispered. "Only one person knows, or at least as far as I'm aware, and now you. I..." I smiled without humor. " I guess you can say that I still haven't come to terms with it. I know that there's nothing wong with being bi, or anything else. But no matter what I tell myself, no matter how many times I try and convince myself that my friends will support me, that everything will turn out fine and I shouldnt have to go through this alone... I just can't. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I just can't. I really, truly wish that I didn't feel ashamed of who I am. It's one of my biggest regrets."

He squeezed my hand. "I know how you feel. Even after most of my friends, all my family, told me that they would support me no matter what, after telling them, I felt... empty. You're supposed to have a sort of release, you know, like a weight lifting off your shoulders, when you show some part of yourself to the rest of the world, whether it's your sexuality or who you really are on the inside, instead of a facade. But I didn't want to talk about it with anyone, just tried my best to avoid the subject and stay closed off when it came up.

"Sometimes we don't want others to feel sympathy, or understand what we're feeling. It could be because we don't think anybody goes through what we do, or..." His electric blue eyes met mine. "...It's because we know that this is something we have to go through ourselves. And that truth is something that no one else understands but ourselves. Then, when we face the problem head-on and fight until it's right."

* * *

Yoichi and I stepped out of the restaurant. It seemed almost as if we were in a different time, many stars and turns of the moon ago, and the rest of the world was millions of miles away, where they went on as Life does, forever obvlivious to the two people standing between a small local restaurant and a cozy bookstore with an earthy feel. A lonely thought, and yet it did not reach me, for I knew, with a lighter step and raised head, that the two of us would part ways at a gate back into our worlds.

With a nod, and the simple gesture of shaking hands, we parted. "Maybe we'll meet again someday," Yoichi smiled. Then he turned and walked away, and was gone.

I stood there for a few moments, gazing at the world around me: up at the sky, where the daylight sky was still bright and pressed down the heat of a coming summer and the promise of a new freedom.

Fujisaki-san hurried over to me, having been watching from a nearby bench. She held the wrapper of a sandwich in her hand. She must have been there for the entire two hours, just patiently watching and listening to our coversation. The mysterious secrets behind her deep golden eyes were just a little clearer, I noticed. "Are you okay?" She asked.

I looked back up at the sky. The sun seemed to laugh down at me. Coming back down to earth, I met her eyes and smiled.

"I'm good."

* * *

_A young woman laid in her apartment, shielding her eyes and curled up in front of the toilet. She swiped at her mouth weakly, smearing a little vomit over her cheek. Her eyes were bloodshot. Damn, that had been a bad night. After getting fired by her boss at the restaurant in front of everyone, she'd gone to a bar and had gotten drunk. She didn't have enough money to pay the next month's rent without work, let alone pay for food and water._

_It's those stupid teenagers' fault, she thought sourly. They cost me my job, and if I don't find work, I'm screwed._

_As it was, she barely remembered the previous night. If she had, she'd know that in the back pocket of her jeans, there was a business card from a man that wanted to her to give him a call, because he thought she had a certain 'charisma' that he was sure would fit in well at his in time, she would remember all of that._

_She would not, however, remember his stormy grey eyes, or the black that seemed to spread from his pupils like staining ink until his eyes were only darkness._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	27. The Shortie is WAY Too Dominant!

******Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Utau**

"Well, this is awkward," I muttered to Kukai, who nodded fervently.

Cherry Blossom Festival is a day to celebrate. The beautiful pink and white blossoms on the cherry trees are in full bloom, giving off a sweet freagrance. Like every year, Osaka holds a festival. It's nowhere near as grand as the one in Tokyo, and nowhere near as ell-reknowned as the one in Yoshinoyama, but it's still beautiful here, and everyone enjoys the sakura... a cultural time that is relaxing for the visitors and a wonderful way to enjoy the beginning of summer. Unless, of course, you were going with your friends, most of which were in complicated and strained romantic relationships.

Take, for instance, Amu and Ikuto. The two were probably about as far away from each other as you could get, on the opposite edges of our little crowd, and avoiding looking at each other with stubborn expressions. Or Yaya and Kairi, who appeared to be trying to hiding from each other behind an irate Rima and exasperated Nagi, and glancing at the other out of the corners of their eyes.

"So pretty smelling, ~desu," Su twirled.

Pencil ground hard as it traveled against paper, Miki glancing up absently as she drew. "Sugoi..."

"Why are you staring at me?" A flustered Nadeshiko questioned Tadase, who had been watching her with a half-smile on his face.

Tadase blinked. "I was? Really?"

"Yes, you are." She rolled her eyes and punched him. "You're always zoning out, I swear. Oh, by the way, when are you going to get me those apology presents?"

"Apology presents?" He looked at her, mystified, and a look of surprise crossed his face. "Wait! That?! But, you, you tricked me, so—so that shouldn't count!"

Immediately Nadeshiko's eyes got huge, shining and reflecting little particles of light like diamonds, drawing me in like a moth to a flame. She wet her lips and opened her mouth just the slightest, like two rose petals glittering with dew. She could've been the most perfect angel of heaven. She slid one soft, silky looking strand of her beautiful violet hair behind one ear. "B-But, you promised..."

I realized the guys except for an amused Nagi were walking like zombies unconsciously toward her, mouths dropped open, utterly transfixed. In fact, there were a couple other guys and girls around us who were experiencing the same thing. Holy crap, she was good. I forced my legs to be still instead of leading me forward towards her and attempting to become her lesbian lover.

"Uhm, okay..." Tadase gulped and stared, and then shook his head and covered his eyes. "Stop doing that!"

Nadeshiko smirked, and the aura evanesced. "Ha. Fell for it twice. Come on, smooth guy, let's go get my apology presents." She took his hand and dragged him away amidst his protests.

"And... there they go." I sighed.

"I didn't know Nadeshiko could sparkle-attack someone," Rima piped up, and turned to Nagi. "Crossdresser, can you do that, too?"

"Call me Nagi, and yes I can, but it's... different, you could say." Nagi sighed.

"Prove it," Rima ordered.

Nagi smirked. "You sure? Because, I'm sure you'd never be able to resist it."

"Just do it, Crossdresser," She snapped.

At once, Nagi's feminine amber eyes became large pools of clear, sweet honey that trapped me in place. One corner of his mouth went up, then the other, an alluring, crooked smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Radiant sparks seemed to fly off his glowing skin, and holy mother of god I swear I would've become his number one fangirl.

Suddenly the sparkle-attack wore off, and I blinked, realizing that my skin was a brilliant pink. A glance around me showed a dazed Amu and Yaya, whose cheeks were flushed. Rima, however, had gotten the full blast right in her face, and was swaying slightly on her feet and appeared breathless and red as a tomato. As it was, Kairi, Ikuto and Kukai were all glaring at Nagi furiously, as well as a couple of other guys and girls around us that were restraining their lovers.

"Oh," Rima said in a small voice. Then, stronger, "My sparkle-attack is good, too. Better, actually."

Nagi laughed. "I doubt it."

"Oh, really?" Light began to gather around her.

"Why don't we let them be for a little bit?" Amu said hastily. "I'm not sure I can handle another sparkle-attack."

"Lets," I agreed, and we hurried away, wincing as the two began a sparkle-attack war and glitter began flying everywhere.

"So, you look really good," Kukai complimented, motioning towards my ukata, which was deep violet with the patterns of a moonlit sky and fluttering moths.

"You, too," I said, smiling. He was handsome in his ukata, even if the dragon print was lime on yellow and he stood out like a neon sign, especially next to Ikuto's deep blue or Kairi's forest green.

"Oh, look!" Yaya said quickly. I glanced back at her. She was almost as pink as her babyish ukata that was as bright a pink as Kukai's was green and covered in little bunnies to boot. She appeared to be edging away from a nervous but determined-looking Kairi.

"What is it?" Amu asked curiously, letting Yaya drag her along with the rest of us towards a stand.

Yaya pointed to the stand's sign. "It's a contest!"

Kairi managed to move his way up and slide next to her, reaching over her shoulder to pick up a brochure. "A trip to America," He read. "Enter in a drawing to win fabulous travel prizes. Grand prize a free, one-week vacation, seven days, six nights, to a beach town right next to the ocean. You can enter as a group (up to ten participants) or enter as single winner."

"Oh. Cool." I shrugged. "Sounds fun. You guys wana enter?"

Ikuto shrugged indifferently. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't really care."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Amu interrupted. "Hey, there's Tadase and Nadeshiko at that crepe stand!"

"How did I not see that?!" Yaya asked in disbelief.

"Oy, Amu," I said, annoyed, "Don't—"

"Hey, guys!" Amu waved over at them cheerfully. They seemed startled to see her, and both appeared to be blushing, but they gestured us to come over.

"Well, isn't this turning out to be a fun day," I muttered.

* * *

"_Thanks again, Hotori-kun," Nade said gratefully at the delicate crepe in the thin paper, topped with whipped cream and ripe red mushy raspberries._

_Tadase smiled. "Of course. They did look really good." He held up another one. "Raspberry and vanilla crepes are my favorite."_

"_Why didn't I get one?" Azumi asked innocently._

"_Because you couldn't finish one by yourself," Nade told her._

"_Could we share, at least?" Azumi begged. Nade sighed._

"_Fine. Ya mooch." Azumi giggled and cheered._

_"Well, crepes are delicious," Tadase said happily._

"_I know." Nade set down the two drinks she was holding, a cinnamon mocha latte and a ginseng and mint jasmine tea, pushing the latte towards Tadase. "Although why you like coffee, I have no idea."_

"_Coffee is amazing!" Tadase insisted. "Caffeine and great taste all in one!"_

"_The perfect beverage for a dictator," Kiseki said imperiously._

_Nade made a face. "Yuelch. I think it tastes nasty. And also, I wouldn't be this tall if I drank coffee." She took a crepe from Tadase's hands and raised it in the air. "To Sakuramatsuri."_

"_To Sakuramatsuri," Tadase echoed, and the two bit into the sweet treats._

"_Mmm!" Tadase wiped his mouth with a napkin. Looking up, he noticed Nade had a little whipped cream on her cheek, near her mouth. "Oh—Fujisaki-san, you have a little..." Nade looked at him curiously. "Here, I'll get it." He scooted his chair closer to hers and wiped it away gently with his napkin. "There."_

_A tiny flush spread across Nade's cheeks. Violet eyes met gold, and the two seemed to lean closer, almost unbelievably slow, as if in a trance, until their faces were just an inch apart._

"_Hey, guys!" Amu's voice._

_The two realized, as usual, how close their faces were, and jumped apart, clearing their throats and gesturing almost half-heartedly at an oblivious Amu, who was dragging the rest of their friends along behind her. And as usual, the two dismissed it as nothing, completely ignoring the fact that both of their hearts were pounding in their ears and the breath in their lungs had disappeared._

"_Hey, Amu," Nade said cheerfully._

_Amu grinned. "Are those crepes any good?"_

"_Like heaven in your mouth," Nade replied._

"_I want one," Yaya said excitedly, jumping up an down. "I love crepes. Do you like crepes? Crepes are good. Crepes are sweet. I love sweet! Can I have some crepes? Ooh, is that raspberry? I love raspberry. Do they have strawberry flavored crepes? I love strawberry-flavored—"_

"_Okay, jeez, Yaya. Calm down." Kukai put a hand on top of her head and forced her to stop bouncing. "We'll get some crepes."_

"_Yeah, come sit with us." Tadase stood and began helping the others drag chairs (much to the other customers' annoyance) to the table. "I'll go order the crepes. Which do you guys want?"_

"_Strawberry!" Yaya shouted._

_Amu shushed her. "Me as well."_

_Ikuto shrugged. "Chocolate."_

"_Boysenberry, please," Kairi said politely._

_Utau met eyes with Kukai, and they both grinned. "I'm good. Might ruin my appetite for ramen."_

"_I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Nade announced, and made her way into a nearby store._

_Tadase walked up to the stand and waited patiently behind an indecisive woman that couldn't decide between chocolate and vanilla. Finally, after the woman had decided ("Oh, never mind, I'll just wait until later") Tadase moved forward to order. The cashier looked slightly annoyed, but gave him one of those 'doesn't-actually-think-it's-funny-but-laughs-anyways-for-a-good-tip' that waiters and waitresses give and called the order over his shoulder. Tadase stepped out of line and waited. When it was obvious the order was not going to come out for a while, he shrugged and made his way to the nearby store to go to the bathroom, glancing back where the pastry chef was moving his hands furiously, covered in a cloud of flour._

_At the same time, Nadeshiko was exiting the store, laughing and smiling at someone over her shoulder, an unknown. Unlike so many times, the emotion in her eyes was clear, but a curtain seemed to fall and it disappeared._

_The two turned back and ran smack into each other, hitting each other in the forehead, smashing nose into cheek and lips almost touching. The two jumped back, freaking out._

"_Whoopsie-daisy! Hotori-kun, it's you! I didn't see you there—"_

"_—S-Sorry, Fujisaki-san, I thought you were still—"_

"—_No, no, it's all right, I'm just going to—"_

"_—I'll be going now—"_

_And the two parted, pink in the face, both wondering why exactly the world seemed to have sharpened in clarity, to the point that it seemed they would be able to see freckles on skin, or every eyelash brushing cheekbones..._

* * *

**Rima**

"I won," I said triumphantly, sticking out my tongue.

Nagihiko gave me an amused look. "Nice try, Rima. No, you did not."

"I gathered more people," I stated. "So I win."

"No, you gathered more people, all of which were guys. I, however, gathered both girls and guys alike. You didn't get one girl."

"Pfft. That doesn't matter." I waved a hand dismissively. "I got more people. I win, and now you have to be one of my slaves."

"Hmm. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad." Nagi smirked. "If I was your slave, would you also punish me when I was bad? Would I have to call you 'Mistress', Ri-ma?"

I felt heat flood into my cheeks. "SHUT UP!"

"Oh? It was a valid question. Perhaps were you thinking of that in a perverted way?" He chuckled. "I never new you had such a dirty mind, Rima."

"SHUT UP!" I wailed, and covered my face. "Gaaah!"

I felt his breath tickle my ear. "Never said you wouldn't do it, so is that a yes?"

I punched him in the arm as hard as I could, crossing my arms and pouting furiously. Nagi was now laughing, completely unaffected by my punch as if it had been a fly landing on his shoulder.

"Baka," I said angrily.

"Aw, Rima, don't be angry," Nagi said happily, attempting to surpress a smile and failing miserably. "I thought it was funny. And if you want, I can be your slave and let you do anything you want to me."

"You're a sick, sick, bastard, Nagihiko," I mumbled, shooting him my best EvilDeathGlare™, even though I knew from experience it didn't work on him.

Nagihiko grinned, and then looked around. "Hey, where did everybody go?"

"I dunno. Let's go look for them."

He bowed. "Yes, Mistress."

"SHUT UP!"

"Of course, Mistress."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Anything your heart desires, Mistress."

"First, I'm going to stab you. But not in the heart. Lots of other places, so you won't die, but you'll be in excruciating pain."

"Yes, Mistress. Should I be naked so you can decide where to punish me?"

"Then I'm going to heal you so you don't die, but you'll still be in mortal agony."

"Are you going to be the one that nurses my wounds, Mistress? Would you kiss them to make it all better?"

"Then I'm going to lock you up in a room that's pitch black so you can't see and soundproof the walls so you won't hear at thing."

"Would you like to chain me up as well, Mistress?"

"I'm going to keep you in there alone in solitary confinement."

"Will I have toys to play with so I don't get too lonely, Mistress?"

"You'll be all alone in that cell, until you go insane. Then I will take you out of that cell and torture you until you scream for mercy."

"You'd punish me some more, Mistress? Would you prefer a whip, perhaps? Or your body?"

"Then I'd cook you in an oven alive and laugh as the fires scald your flesh."

"Of course, Mistress. I will get as hot and sweaty as it pleasures you."

"And then when you're cooked, I will rip the flesh off your bones with my own teeth."

"If you believe I would taste good, Mistress. You may lick me clean."

"There you guys are!" Our friends came rushing over, looking both relieved and worried. "You guys have been missing for almost an hour," Amu said worriedly. "We thought you'd be in the same place, so we stopped at this nice crepe stand to eat, and then we went looking for you, but you were gone."

"And now Yaya and Kairi have disappeared," Utau grumbled. "I think she may be running from him."

"What were you doing, anyways?" Ikuto demanded.

"Nagi's being a stupid pervert!" I whined.

"I am whatever my Mistress desires." Nagi bowed and straightened, holding in a snicker. "She wants to punish me, then lock me up and chain me to a wall with toys for me to play with, and then punish me again. Then we're going to get hot and sweaty, and she will lick me clean."

"Aaargh! Shut up, you dirty bastard!"

"Whatever pleasures you the most, Mistress."

Tadase held in a smile and Nadeshiko sweat-dropped. "...Should I even ask?"

"I'm going to hurt your twin," I told her.

"My mistress is going to punish me because I'm a bad, bad boy," Nagi told her.

"Oh, is she?" Ikuto smirked. "I never knew you liked S&M, Rima."

"Shut the hell up!" I yelled, balling my fists and blushing.

Amu giggled. "I always knew you'd be the dominant one, Rima. I just didn't think you'd be _that_ dominant."

"Be quiet, Amu! No one asked you!"

"Oh, I don't know, Amu, maybe Nagi really is bad, and she just has to keep him in check." Utau smiled evilly. "With a whip."

"Do you at least pleasure him afterwards?" Kukai raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sometimes for hours," Nagi told him brightly. "Until I pass out."

"I hate you guys," I muttered, turning away with a harrumph and fixing my eyes on something else. That something else turned out to be Kairi, who was holding a flushed Yaya and saying something, brushing hair from her face and stroking her cheek. "Uh..."

"What?" Amu and the rest turned to see what I was looking at.

"Ooh, shit," Utau giggled as Kairi kissed Yaya gently, and she clung to him, fingers balled in his ukata.

* * *

_"This looks like so much fun," Yaya gushed, still staring at the travel brochure even as her friends walked away to go find Nagihiko and Rima, who at the time were still attracting others with violent sparkle-attacks in a bloody war that was unlikely to end for at least another fifteen minutes. "Too bad it seems kind of scary too..."_

_She turned away from the booth, unaware of a certain plot that had just occurred to her babyish character, who flew off. "How exciting! I wonder who'll get called?" She glanced back grinning, only to realize that she was alone except for Kairi, who was watching her intently. Crap, she thought frantically, and turned away. "Aw, they ditched us. Come on, we should go find them and yell at them."_

_"Hold on a second, Yaya," Kairi said calmly, and took her hand gently, leading her (in the opposite direction of their friends) towards a short, two person bench. "There's somthing I've been meaning to say."_

_"Uhm... Kairi?" Yaya felt her cheeks go hot. "What are you doing?"_

_He sat down on the bench and patted the seat. "We need to talk."_

_"...Okay?" She sat down, gulping, nervously fingering her bow necklace. "What is it?"_

_"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." He fixed her with his ocean blue eyes. "Don't you?"_

_"I have no idea what you're talking about," Yaya denied, hiding her face behind her hair._

_Kairi moved closer and brushed her hair aside. "Yes, you do. Now... are you ever going to answer my question?"_

_"W-What question?" Her voice quavered, and she cursed herself. "I h-have n-no idea."_

_"I suppose the answer doesn't really matter." He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face upward. "Because, you should know, that even if you don't, I'm going to chase after you for the rest of my life. I will catch up to you, and I will make you fall in love with me," He whispered in her ear._

_All the air seemed to go out of her lungs. "K-Kairi?" She asked breathlessly, feeling her heart stop in her chest as he leaned in, meeting her gaze._

_"I will always love you," He murmured, caressing her cheek."No matter what, I will always love you. And someday, you'll love me back."_

_Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes fluttered closed. His lips brushed across her mouth, the barest feather of a touch, cradling her face as if she were fragile and delicate. Yaya's fists rested on his shoulders, clinging to him desperately as if her were the only thing keeping her from falling away ino the darkness. _

_A matter of seconds turning to an eternity, and finally he pulled away, cupping her cheek, eyes shining with emotion. She opened her mouth, seeming to wobble just the slightest, and threw herself forward, into a surprised Kairi and flinging her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and then broke into a wide smile. He rested his cheek in her hair, gathering her close and stroking her hair._

_"Finally!" A voice behind them said in exasperation. The two jumped, to see all their friends grinning madly at them._

_"Took you long enough," Ikuto grumbled, grinning at the two. "You two were supposed to be the easy couple."_

_"Aw, you two are so cute together," Amu smiled, clasping her hands together and hopping up and down on the balls of her feet. "I'm so glad!"_

_Rima grinned. "Wonder how long it will be till Kairi finally gets to ravish you in your underwear, Yaya?"_

_At this, Yaya went scarlet, and began stuttering like crazy. "I—I d—don't—we haven't—it's—I—"_

_"Ah, let's not rush them into things," Nagihiko playfully scolded Rima. "They should wait, they're young! Nothing too dirty."_

_Nade snorted. "Says the guy who has Rima for a mistress."_

_Nagi burst out laughing and Rima blushed furiously. "SHUT UP, NADE!"_

_The two lovers smiled faintly, still feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of their friends. They looked over at each other, and smiled, sliding their fingers together._

* * *

_"GUYS! Guys, abort the plan!" Pepe zoomed to the other guardian characters, ramming into the group and scattering them all. "I've got an even better idea!"_

_"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, COMMONER!" Kiseki roared._

_"Ow... what is it?" Miki said crossly._

_Ran rubbed her head. "Yeah, yeah! What's so important that we have to abort our plan?"_

_"The contest is WAY better! Think we can send them on that trip and get them all together there!"_

_The others sweat-dropped. "Um... what?"_

_"That contest!" Pepe said impatiently. "We enter them secretly as a group, and then rig the entry so they all go together to the destination!"_

_"I don't know..." Temari said doubtfully. "Getting Amu and Ikuto alone sounds much safer."_

_"And besides, we'd be cheating. Why would we make it so someone else loses their chance to go on vacation?"_

_"We did the same thing for the play, or at least tried to!" Pepe pointed out. "And a whole week to get them AND everyone else together seems much easier."_

_"Actually, this sounds kinda fun," Kusukusu said excitedly. "We'd get to see a whole new country!"_

_"True, true. We'd meet new people see what it's like on the other side..." Daichi shrugged. "I agree, we should do it."_

_"It does sound like fun!" Ran said brightly. Su smiled and nodded._

_Dia giggled. "Sounds perfect for a little rest and relaxation."_

_"And new, unique ideas to sketch on," Miki nodded her appreciation._

_"And a king must survey more of his land," Kiseki said pompously._

_Rhythm laughed. "Sounds pretty cool."_

_"Hmm..." A mysterious smile reached Azumi's eyes. "A vacation of romance, huh? I like it. Good for... stuff, you know."_

_"I suppose it is a worthy idea. All in favor?" Musashi asked. All raised their hands. "Then we shall follow through with it."_

* * *

"Wow, it's almost one!" Amu marveled at the time. "It really is getting late... almost four!"

"That means we've been here for practically five hours," I sighed. "About time to go home, don't you think?"

"I have dance practice," Nagi admitted. "So, yes, that sounds right."

"You too, Nadeshiko?" Utau questioned.

"Nope," Nadeshiko said cheerfully.

"Why?" I asked. "Did you want to learn?"

"Yes, but when Nagi and... my mother... tried to teach me, I kept tripping and falling flat on my face. I have the dancing ability of an old gym sock."

"Irony..." Ikuto muttered under his breath.

Somewhat nearby, a man was calling out, "... And the grand prize winner of this year's Dream Vacation Getaway... Yaya-chan and Friends!"

"OH MY GOSH! WE WON!" Yaya screamed, and sprinted over to the booth, grabbing and waving ten pieces of paper that were of equal size and looked ominously like plane tickets, a manilla envelope in her other hand. "WE WON, YOU GUYS! (When did we enter?) WE WON!"

"...We won what?" Amu said quizically.

"Yaya..." I growled. "You entered us in a contest WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION?"

She cupped a hand to her ear. "WHAT?!"

"Well, we did say it sounded fun," Kukai commented, and then recoiled from my EvilDeathGlare™.

Yaya came running back to us, grinning at everyone elses' stunned faces. "Guys, were going to California!"

* * *

_If they had known, a woman in her mid-twenties would not be at the hospital. She would not be offering blood for the blood bank. Blood would not be slowly draining from her veins, nor would she walk out of there, smiling a gruesome smile with black eyes. _

_If they had known, the doctors would not be administering the new blood to a young, extremely ill young patient. The six-year-old little girl, who would die without this treatment, would not be suddenly healed of her affliction. The young girl would not have cut open a thin, shallow gash on her own hand with her long nails gotten out of bed and somehow slipped past the desk, running her hand, leaving a trail of smeared blood behind her. She would not be stepping into the other rooms and touching the other children._

_If they had known, an army of children would not be running amok in the hospital causing all sorts of chaos. There would not be black-eyed, violently kicking and screaming bodies with foaming mouths and rolling eyes, or terrified doctors or nurses trying to calm them. Parents would not being yelling, bellowing their sudden fury and trying to protect their children._

_If they had known, a little girl with blood dripping from her hand would not have left the building to follow a woman, two men, a dog and a crow into the festival and disappear from sight._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	28. Americans Are Freaking Tall!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, or Mountain Dew!**

* * *

**Amu**

"Oh my gosh," I said in awe, turning in a slow circle and staring at the world around. "I can't believe it. We're really here."

America really was different from everywhere else in the world. My nine friends and I stood on the sidewalk. It was so strange, seeing sleek, shining cars of all colors drive past with no roof, laughing people with deep tans and fit bodies, all sorts of ethnicities, slim, muscled girls in bikinis swimming and playing volleyball, (hot) guys laughing with cool nonchalance; they all seemed to hold a strange charisma that I guessed was familiar with Americans. And most of all...

"They're so tall!" Yaya said incredulously. "Omigosh!"

"Most of those guys must be over six feet," Ikuto observed. "My kind of place. Now I'm not surrounded by shorties."

"I feel like a freaking midget," Rima grumbled. "Like it's elementary school all over again."

"Have you ever seen cars like that?" Nade motioned towards a large car. "Or even so many. Why does it seem like everyone has a car?"

"That sun feels amazing," Su said happily, pirouetting in a circle.

Race you to the beach!" Ran giggled, tossing Daichi a playful smile. "I'm winning!"

"Cheater!" He flew after her, laughing.

"Let's go get everything set up, then," Nagihiko said, glancing around with an appreciative smile. "After we check in and get our rooms, we can go look around."

As the ten of us walked into the hotel, my mouth dropped. From the soft silence of us that intermingled with the soft chatter and roll of wheels on tile, I guessed my friends were equally open-mouthed.

The lobby was clean and cool, a welcome cleanness that was an oasis from the heat and humidity rising from the ocean. The walls were a sandy off-white. There were squarish, boxy blue couches, hard-back shiny plastic chairs, set against curving walls with glass tables to line the curves, table centerpieces with (ha) fake sakura branches. Colorful red pendant lamps hung from the ceiling, falling in an inverted wave of color on the ceiling, showing the paths along the tiled floors and up the slightly out-of-view twisting shag-carpeted staircase.

Nagihiko cleared his throat. "Here goes my English. Hello," Nagihiko said smiling uncertainly at the woman at the desk. "We're the grand prize winners of the Dream Vacation Getaway Contest in Japan." He tried to gesture with his hands, as he kept slipping back into Japanese. "We're here to check in?"

"Ah!" She smiled and spoke in fluent Japanese, to our relief. "Just a second. Let me get you your rooms." With that, she turned back and disappeared from view.

"This is so cool!" Nadeshiko clapped her hands and jumped up and down on the balls of her feet. "I can't believe I'm really in America! It's so beautiful here!"

The woman appeared again, smiling. "All righty, so I've got your room numbers here. Three non-smoke, double-bedrooms; two beds, a living room, and a bathroom each. Enjoy!"

"Thank you," Nadeshiko said in perfect English.

Nagi grumbled, "Why didn't you speak if you're so good at English?"

"Because you didn't ask." Nade leaned forward and snatched the tickets. "All right, so we're on the top floor, which is just the second. We have the... Bargain Suites. Wow. Okay." She laughed. "Rooms 203, 204 and 205. Let's go, then."

Up the staircase set off to the side to the second floor revealed a long walkway, where to the right glass windows gave view to the rest of the city, while on the left were doors spaced a ways apart.

"Here it is, 203, 204, 205." Nade pointed to two doors at the very end of the hall. "So, who's staying in what room?"

We all looked at each other. "I can stay with Kukai," Utau said, giving her boyfriend a smile.

"Why don't I stay with you guys?" Ikuto gave them both a threatening look that said 'if you try anything, I will skin you both alive'.

"I'd rather stay with Amu." Utau stucker her tongue out at him. "Right, Amu?"

"Ah..." Amu gulped at Utau's dangerous look. "Okay?"

"Why don't you and I stay together?" Kairi smiled at Yaya, who blushed.

Rima snickered. "Don't try anything dirty, you two."

Yaya pouted, but her eyes brightened and a lightbulb went off. "Why don't you stay with Nagi, Rima?"

"Sounds good to me." Nagi leered at Rima. "If it pleases you, Mistress."

"NOOOOO!" Rima wailed. "Nade, please, I beg you! Switch with me!"

"But Nade is staying with us, right, Nade?" Yaya snatched said girl's arm possessively.

Nadeshiko sweat-dropped. "Um... okay?"

"Tadase?" Rima pleaded.

Yaya's eyes glittered. "Tadase, too. He's rooming with Nade."

"Then I guess I'll stay with the lovebirds." Ikuto grinned and put him arm around Nagihiko, ruffling Rima's hair.

"Waaaaah..." Rima looked tearful. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

Kusukusu giggled. "But Rima, aren't you secretly thrill—mmmph!"

"Let's get settled in, guys!" Yaya grabbed her stuff and the room key from Nade and barged into their room. "Oh, wow! Cool! So you guys can have this room. Kairi and I..."

"C'mon, Amu," Utau said, rubbing her temples. "Oi..."

""Relax, babe." Kukai grinned and kissed her cheek. "We have a whole week of rest and relazation ahead of us."

I looked at the key in my hand and turned to the door, sliding the key card and pushing the door open. "Whoa..."

It was a bright, open space with a small living room that held a red, antique-looking loveseat and a chaise, arranged around a tiny little TV. Glancing to the right, I saw right through a window into a room. Searching around to my left was a door that led to a small bathroom, fluffy white towels in a stack on the toilet, a sink and a shower.

"Look at this bedroom," Utau called from around the corner. I came out and saw across on the other side of the living area, a bedroom with a king-size bed with a gold comforter stood, as well as a closet, a wardrobe, and a nightstand, with a window that looked out over the big blue ocean.

"Amazing," I marveled. "This is so cool!"

Utau flopped herself down on the bed. "I knew it! Memory foam... ahhh..."

"Hey, where's the other bedroom?" Kukai looked around.

"You walked right past it," Utau mumbled, face still buried in the bed. "Look out the door to your right. It's exactly the same as this one, except it's reversed and the only thing you can see from the window is the doorway."

"I call that room!" I dashed out the door and dumped my stuff on the bed before throwing myself backwards with a sigh of happiness. "Oh, wow..." I closed my eyes, ready to get a little rest.

The second I closed my eyes Yaya was pounding on our door. "Hey, guys!"

I groaned and stomped out of my room, flinging open the door. "What is it?"

"Do you wanna go swimming?" She asked excitedly "You guys all brought your swimsuits, right?"

"Yes," I said, exasperated, "But, we're kind of tired, so—"

"No!" She shook her head. "You have to stay awake so you can get used to the jet lag! That way when it's bedtime here, you'll be able to sleep peacefully!"

I heard the door in the room next to us open. "I'm up for going to the beach," Rima said. "Sounds like fun as long as I don't have to swim."

"Great! I'll tell everybody else. Get your swimsuits on, guys!" And she was gone.

I sighed and went back. "Apparently we're going to the beach now to stay awake."

Utau shrugged and sat up. "Fine with me. I'll get my swimsuit."

Ten minutes later, I was worrying at the tie on my halter bikini. At the time I'd tried it on at the store, it had looked great. I'd loved the black and hot pink stripes and the white Hawaiian flowers, but suddenly the thin strings made me feel like the double knots were about to come out.

"Amu, stop fiddling," Ran chided, holding a fiercely struggling Daichi in a headlock. "You look great!"

"You do," Miki agreed.

Su giggled. "Su wants a swimsuit, too!"

"It needs glitter," Dia declared. "More sparkle!"

"Amu, are you ready?" Utau strode into my room, one hand on her hips. She wore a strapless one-piece with a bandeau top, violet with a butterfly design scattering down her hips. Over the beautiful swimsuit, she wore an open black cardigan made entirely of draping lace. Kukai was over her shoulder, wearing aquamarine trunks that almost hurt my eyes as he grinned at me, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

"Y-Yeah, I think." I snatched my hoodie, grey with blue hood and cuffs, and threw it on, following them out the door.

Yaya was already bouncing excitedly, wearing a yellow string bikini with white polka dots and dangly bows. Her little bow necklace sparkled on her chest, resting in her cleavage. Kairi, wearing forest green trunks and baring a swimmer's thin but strong muscles, was blinking nervously, which made sense because he wasn't wearing glasses and he posed a danger to society when he didn't have his glasses on. Tadase wore white trunks with a gradient red, orange and yellow sun on one leg, covering his lightly muscled, soft-skinned chest with crossed arms. Nadeshiko was adjusting a lavender-pink strapless two-piece with cherry blossoms, frills on her ample breasts and a tiny little skirt with a thin, floaty white cover-up. Azumi sat swaying on top of her head.

Rima looked miserable next to Yaya. She did look cute, however, in her deep red one-piece swimsuit with vibrant orange bamboo designs and gold beads dotting here and there. Nagihiko was wearing swim trunks of indigo plaid, with one hand shoved into his grey hoodie pocket, baring his well-muscled chest and abs, one sleeve rolled up. Ikuto wore, no surprise, a plain black swimsuit that somehow set off his light skin and made his eyes glow with dark amusement, a cocky smile crooking the corner of his mouth, relaxed stance filled with mirth. Not like I thought he looked sexy or anything. Because I wasn't going to apologize for his mistake.

"You guys looks great!" Yaya gushed, hopping up and down and clapping her hands. "We're set, so let's go!" She grabbed the two closest hands to her, which happened to be Rima's and Kairi's, and began dragging them away. "Yay, yay!"

"Oy, slow down," Utau pulled Ikuto and Kukai along with her. "Don't run in the lobby or you'll—" CRASH! "Run into somebody," Utau muttered and sighed.

"Ow..." Yaya rubbed her head, having accidentally sprawled face-first across the chest of the bellboy. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry— I mean—" She stumbled in horrible English. I think I caught 'watermelon' and 'babies' somewhere in there.

"Here, let me." Nadeshiko stepped around us and hurried over to Yaya, pulling the three to their feet and apologizing in English, speaking quickly and fluently. The bellboy, tall with a cinnamon tan and ruffled dark hair, rose up over her, rubbing his head and grinning at her sheepishly. She said something else, and the two of them laughed, Nadeshiko brushing a strand of hair loose from her ponytail behind her ear. He said something else, motioning to us, and she nodded, saying more with a big smile on her face. The guy's green eyes sparkled as they talked.

I caught, "Beach...us?" He nodded and said something else, throwing her a cheesy smile before heading off.

"What did you guys say?" Yaya said, looking embarrassed. "He knows I'm really sorry, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Nadeshiko waved her hand dismissively. "Guy's name is Alex Rodríguez. He's the bellboy, obviously, about eighteen. I told him about us, and he totally gets it, even though he hasn't the slightest idea of how to speak any more Japanese that 'hello'. He seemed cool, so I asked if he wanted to join us at the beach, and he said if he could get off work, he'd meet us there."

"Oh, thank goodness, "Yaya said, relieved. "I felt so bad, and I don't even think I apologized right..."

"He said it sounded like you said that you were telling him the two of you were going to have watermelon-shaped babies," Nade told her, giggling.

"He's pretty cute," Utau said. Kukai shot her an incredulous glance, and she laughed. "Hey, hey, don't get all upset, I'm just stating the truth. That boy was pretty."

"But I'm prettier, right?" Kukai asked. Utau laughed, whispered in his ear, and Kukai shut up quick, turnng red.

Ikuto shrugged. "He seemed like a pretty good guy to me."

"And he did have really nice green eyes. Were they colored contacts?" Yaya asked, ignoring Kairi's surprised and hurt puppy look.

"Ah, I asked him that, and he said no, but if I didn't believe him he'd poke at his eyeballs to prove it."

"Gross." Pepe huffed. "Americans are so weird."

"His eyes aren't that nice," Kairi protested. Yaya giggled and kissed his cheek, and he relaxed. "Well, they aren't bad, I suppose."

"Seemed a good man," Musashi said, nodding his head thoughtfully.

"What did you think of him, Nade?" Rima said slyly.

"He was cute," Nadeshiko admitted. "Those eyes were really gorgeous. And gosh, that hair was raven-feather black and just as soft, too, I bet. And that skin," Nadeshiko added, blushing slightly. "How on earth did he get it so clear?"

"Maybe you should go for it," I said admiringly. "Cute, nice and American. You could have an awesome boyfriend from a foreign country."

"I don't like him," Tadase said stiffly.

Azumi smiled knowingly, glancing at Kiseki, who rolled his eyes at Tadase.

"Don't be like that," Nade admonished, looking surprised. "We barely know him, so let's get to know him. He's probably a good guy."

The atmosphere suddenly seemed a little tense. "Okay, let's go swimming!" I said hurriedly.

"Yeah, yeah!" The aura dissipated, and Yaya snatched my arm, dragging me out the door with the rest of my friends following.

Stepping (well, being forcefully dragged by a girl who was probably high from sugar) outside into the hot sunshine, it was a simple matter of crossing the dark paved street, onto the sidewalk beneath palm trees, to a huge parking lot and past all sorts of cars, then through a gate and onto the hot sand where, beyond all sorts of people playing volleyball, reclined in chairs and on blankets, under umbrellas or suntanning, where a deep blue-green ocean stretched in front of my eyes farther than I could see. Soft white clouds painted the sky, a gentle stroke of the most delicate paintbrush, white on rich blue. Just as beautiful as the beach I'd visited so long ago in Japan.

"Let's go!" With a stumble, a splash resounding in my ears and a sudden icy cold that shocked my bones, I found myself in the water, drenched and spluttering next to a grinning Yaya.

"YEAH!" I heard Kukai yell from behind me, and the next thing I knew I was right in the middle of a splash war.

"Crap!" Diving out of the way, I saw the two laughing as their arms waved furiously. And suddenly the rest of my friends were shoving past me to join, Kukai, Nagi and Ikuto on one side, Yaya, Kairi, Nadeshiko and Tadase on the other.

"GET SOME!" Nagihiko roared, having chara-changed with Temari and waving a naginata in his hands.

"Cheater..." A scary aura surrounded Nade, frighteningly similar to Nagi's chara-change with Temari as she chara-changed with Azumi, a little white dove replacing her ponytail.

"Get in here, Amu, Rima," Yaya said impatiently, and pulled the two of us over.

Rima gasped as the water hit her skin. "ACKPTH!"

Utau leapt forward. "Hey, unfair!" She grabbed Rima's arm, who seemed indignant to the fact that she was being fought over like a little doll, and pulled her over to the other side.

"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" Nadeshiko yelled, now using a broom (Where did she get that?) to hold off Nagihiko's attacks.

"Imma get you," Rhythm said teasingly to Kusukusu, who giggled as the two playfully splashed each other.

"Enough with the PDA!" Miki said in disgust. "We're in a war here!"

"Exactly!" Kiseki cried, then turned away, crossing his arms as the rest of the guardians stared at him in astonishment. "She was right, you know."

"Uh-huh." Pepe crossed her arms, and the female charas giggled knowingly.

Kairi's eyes sparked. "Using weapons now, huh?" A samurai sword appeared in his grip. "Beware my fury!"

"What the hell?" I said in disbelief, dodging out of he way of the frenzy of water and now weapons.

"Ooh, sparkly..." Dia and Su watched the light catching the foam and the droplets of water.

"Come and get me!" Ikuto laughed as he dodged Kairi's swipes and arcs gracefully.

"Give it up," Daichi laughed, now holding Ran in a headlock as she squealed and kicked.

"...Hello?" I heard a voice say in stumbling, unclear and uncertain Japanese. I looked up and saw the guy from before—Alex?— looking at the battle scene before him with raised eyebrows.

Everyone froze mid-motion, Tadase in Prince Mode laughing and holding back the splashes from Utau with a flaming aura. Kukai and Yaya were still holding nunchucks (Where the heck did those come from?!) and Nade was caught in the act of jabbing the two broken halves of her broomstick into Nagi's stomach.

"Oh!" Nade smiled and, giving her brother a blunt push with her stick halves, shoved him backwards into the water and pranced through the water with a grin on her face. She began jabbering away in rapid English. He laughed, and the two began to talk, Nade motioning to each of us in turn.

Alex came forward and shook each of our hands, even Tadase, whose world-domination soundtrack had died down and he was blinking around in confusion.

Alex said something, and Nadeshiko translated. "He says it's very nice to meet all of you, and was wondering if he could join the fight." Alex grinned.

Ikuto shrugged and said something in English. (Great, another fluent English-speaker.) The guy looked surprised and smiled before strolling over to join Ikuto. And then he splashed Nade full in the face.

And with that, the war started again. Nagihiko (chara-changed with Rhythm) carried a furiously screaming Rima who was yelling at him to put her down, denying his insisting that she needed medical attention because he'd accidentally jabbed her boob her with his naginata. Ikuto was messing around with Yaya and making her blush, provoking an angry Kairi who began a violent assault on the perverted cat. Tadase kept glancing at Nade and Alex, who were laughing as they splashed each other, completely ignoring an evilly laughing Utau that was practically smashing his face in with her barrage.

A cold bout of water hit me in the face. "EEK!" I glared at Kukai. "Grrr..."

"Get him, Amu," Yaya cried next to me, and together we pounced.

"Shiny..." Dia said as if in a trance.

* * *

_Quietly, without notice, the guardian characters edged away from the ongoing fight that had attracted both laughing and cheering onlookers as well as excited people that had actually joined in on the fight, so now the battle was less split in the middle of our ten heroes and now the ten against twelve other people with about twenty bystanders jumping and shouting in a circle around them._

Temari glanced towards the chaos."The plan is in motion?"

_"Hai!" Amu's shugo chara saluted._

_"Remember, we go down to the right, then straight for two blocks, and then left two blocks," Azumi reminded everyone "Or follow me if you can't keep that in mind."_

_Miki turned to Rhythm, Musashi and Daichi. "You got the laxatives and the sleeping pills?" The three nodded, and Rhythm pulled a two tiny pills from underneath his hat and showed them to everyone before stashing them again._

_"Su, Pepe, you are the distraction so that Azumi, Temari and I can get to the phone," Ran said encouragingly to the slightly air-headed green chara._

_"Okay, ~desu!" Su nodded and twirled._

_"Dia, during Phase Three, you stay with us and help keep them from getting suspicious," Rhythm instructed._

_"I sure hope this works," Daichi said. "It's not often that our plans actually go well."_

_"Hey, hey, it's foolproof!" Ran waved her pom-poms frantically. "Amu and Ikuto will be back together before tonight ends!"_

* * *

By the time we were out of the pool, it was already almost six, though the sky was still alight with the colors of afternoon.

"That was loads of fun," I sighed in contentment, resting my arms behind my head.

Yaya nodded happily. "And our team won!"

"No, we did," Kukai argued, crossing his arms.

"Actually, I think we all won, seeing as by the end we were all on the same team fighting against people we don't even know," Nagihiko commented. "And we never even got their names..."

Utau caught up with us, panting. "Damn it, I knew I should've worn a disguise. Couple fans just attacked me back there."

Kukai jumped. "Oh, no! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't even—"

"Calm down, it happens all the time," Ikuto yawned. "She's fine, right, Imouto?"

"Yeah, yeah." Utau waved dismissively. "I shouldn't have to worry about any more fans. Most of my fanbase is in Europe and Asia, not a lot of people know who I am anywhere else."

"OOH!" Azumi cried, and flew away at top speed, the rest of our guardian characters following in avid interest.

The heck?!

"Ahh!" Nade jumped and chased after them, along with the rest of us, sprinting along the sidewalk in a desperate chase to follow our temporarily insane charas.

Our new friend Alex ran after us, calling out something in English that sounded alarmed as we ran down one street, turned left and right, until finally slowing to a stop in front of a strange parlor with English letters.

"Food!" Ran cried, dancing around.

I looked at her with disbelief, but said nothing, as a worried Alex was standing right next to us, saying something I didn't understand. Nade smiled cheerfully and waved him off, casually shoving Azumi into her pocket and speaking. Alex nodded and glanced up at the restaurant. A broad smile filled his face, and he said something else, motioning to the ten of us.

"Hey, what do you guys say to dinner here?" Nade questioned. "American pizza!"

"I've heard it tastes different than back at home," Nagi commented. "Not as good as real Italian, but not bad."

Kukai lifted his shoulders. "Eh, as long as I get food."

"I wanna try something new," Yaya said in content, absently dancing around in a circle around us.

Kairi nodded, following Yaya (since she had a death grip on his fingers.) "It would be exciting to experience culinary tastes unreplicatable in Japan."

The eleven of us entered the pizza parlor, standing awkwardly at the counter, where everyone, in red booths or metal-chairs seated around tables, turned to stare at us.

Omigodomigodomigodomigod EVERYONE'S STARING AT US! I screamed inside my head. So I strode up to the counter, casting a cool glance around me, and said to the host, "Table for eleven, please," in my best English. And then mentally beat myself up for doing so. Because obviously I was just faking it, and English?! God, I probably just made a total fool of myself—

"Right away, ma'am," The man said respectfully, and led us to a large booth.

Nade nudged my shoulder. "Impressive. Apparently Miss Cool'n Spicy can speak fluent English." She grinned. "Better work on that accent, though."

"Shut up," I muttered, blushing furiously and sliding down in my seat.

* * *

_"Amu," A voice echoed through the fog, pulsing with power._

_"Hello?" I called nervously, hearing my voice pierce the veil. "Is somebody there?"_

_"Amu," The voice called again, closer now. A girl's voice._

_In the distance, a tiny flicker of light appeared. Ever so slowly, it drew closer, closer. The barest hint of a peaceful utterance within my head held back any fear._

_With the glow approaching, I found it illuminated the chest of a girl in tight black, a slender young neck._

_"Amu," The girl repeated, and she stood right in front of me. I caught the faint glimpse of light reflecting off dark hair and deep brown eyes, of high cheekbones and olive skin. She could only have been eleven, twelve. Young enough to be in elementary school. With a sharp jolt of shock, I saw that around her neck lay the Humpty Lock, which as I clutched at its usual spot above my heart, I was strange and yet not unnatural, as if it belonged to her as well._

_"Amu," She said in a soft voice that slipped from her throat, "You must be ready."_

_"Ready? For what?" I asked, eyes flickering from her face to the lock._

_Emotions flickered across her face, as if remembering old memories. "The Lock and Key are not enough to defeat it this time," The dark-haired girl said urgently, shaking my shoulders. "It is too powerful."_

_"What is?" Alarm began to claw at my stomach._

_Her gaze pierced mine with knife-sharpness. "It is too powerful," She repeated. "You will die."_

_I swallowed hard, unable to speak._

_"You shall be the first to die at its hands," The girl said quietly, and closed her eyes. With a burst of electricity, her eyes flew open, and they were no longer dark brown, but shining orbs of white luminesce. Her voice, once quiet and enigmatic, resonated against invisble walls into a roar of voices._

**_"Within the moon's high, the darkness shall rise  
_****_Prepare, Lock and Key, to meet your demise  
_****_Disaster will strike; the Curse shall prevail  
_****_And all Life shall end when two alone fail  
_****_Against will and reason Death shall be undone  
_****_The demon of ink has only begun."_**

_The glittering light that burst from her eyes grew brighter, brighter, burning my sight until white was permanently etched over my eyes, and I was blind. The solid ground beneath my feet grew misty and disappeared._

_My skin burst aflame as I fell, mouth open in a silent scream, into the darkness and was swallowed up._

* * *

"Amu!"

I gasped and sat up, blinking and looking around wildly, feeling my heartbeat thumping loudly in my ears. My body felt stiff and hard. I swore I was still falling into darkness. The dream seemed fuzzy, as if waking had rubbed the details away like pencil from paper.

Utau and Kukai stood over me, looking concerned. "Amu, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." I rubbed my head. "I'm just really tired, I guess..." I felt my eyelids start to droop again.

"Hmm." Utau's voice came from at a distance, almost an echo, and I shivered, feeling as if I were still falling. "Maybe you should stay at the hotel for a little while longer. Get some sleep, you know."

"No, no," I protested weakly. "I wanna go!"

At the restauarant, after drinking some strange American soda they called **Mountain Dew**, I'd begun feeling drowsy, around the same time Ikuto rushed into the bathroom with a surprised and pained look on his face. I'd tried to keep from falling asleep and he'd stayed in the bathroom for most of the meal. After we'd managed to coax Ikuto out of the bathroom and haul me outside, Yaya had somehow found a nightclub when chasing after a drifting Pepe, and managed to convince everyone we needed to go. And then we got back to the hotel to change and hang out for two hours before the nightclub opened at nine. Apparently I'd fallen asleep, dead to the world even when my friends got bored and started poking at me, then drew on my face, then washed it off roughly (so that's why my face feels raw...) and then tried to wake me up.

"Maybe you should get a little more sleep," Kukai crossed his arms. "Just until you feel awake, and then you and maybe Ikuto can join us."

"Oh." I rubbed my eyes. "How is he?"

Utau exhaled. "Still in the bathroom. Poor guy. But yeah, if you're tired, you can sleep."

I nodded, feeling slightly wistful at the promise of dancing. I'd had a great outfit planned: this leopard-print tube dress that reached a little above mid-thigh that would look great with my metallic black Converse, my black X-shaped barrettes, and my dark silver hoop earrings. As it was, I was wearing said dress and shoes, although with one clip falling out of my tangled hair and one earring in.

"Well... I guess we'll see you later," Utau said, furrowing her brow. "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"No, no, go on, I'll catch up," I yawned and waved them off, laying back on the bed.

"Okay, then. See you later, Amu. Call us, okay? So we can come and get you."

"Mmhmm," I said, covering my eyes with the back of one hand. I heard the door close, and I was asleep.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	29. But We Were Only Making Out!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Fresca or Fanta.**

* * *

**Kukai**

The nightclub was already booming as we reached it, hopping up onto the sidewalk to wait behind a long of youths in their twenties, dressed in hip, tight-fitting clothing. The club sign, Valley of the Sun, was outlined in neon red and yellow, casting a strange glow over its patrons.

"Do you think Amu will be all right?" Utau worried at her purple leopard-print tube top and metallic silver shorts.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," I reassured her. "She'll come along soon."

Rima crossed her arms over her tight-fitting black tuxedo vest and short lace dress. "Wonder why she got so tired? I mean, she wasn't like that before, why would all of a sudden she practically fall asleep in her food?"

"It does seem a bit strange," Kairi agreed. "The sudden exhaustion doesn't quite fit somehow."

"I hope she'll be here soon," Yaya pouted. "She's going to miss out on all the fun."

"Should we go get her?" Nagihiko asked in concern.

Nadeshiko added, "Or Ikuto?" She sighed when we all stared at her. "You know, the blue-haired guy that came with us? Utau's brother?"

"Onii-san probably wanted to come, too," Tadase said. "Just as much as Amu would have."

"Oh, yeah." Utau scratched her head. "Forgot about him."

Nadeshiko facepalmed and Tadase stared at her in astonishment. "But he's your brother!"

"He's glued to the toilet, anyways, though," Rima piped up. "Even if he could eventually join us like Amu, he'd probably be stuck in the bathroom here the whole time and be even more miserable."

Nagihiko sighed. "Although, we did leave him all alone."

"He has Amu to take care of him, though," I said thoughtfully, then realized. "Oh, crap. Amu!"

Utau cursed. "Damn. I forgot. Maybe I should go back."

"Look!" Daichi pointed. "We're first in line!"

"Hm?" It was true. Almost as if everyone in front of us had just disappeared into thin air, we stood at the front of the line. Actually, we were the only ones standing outside, even without the doorman.

"Um... Should we go in?" Nadeshiko said tentatively.

Yaya strode forward. "Well, I'm heading in."

"But, Yaya!" Kairi protested as she dragged him behind her. "Wait a second!"

"Are you guys coming or what?" Pepe crossed her arms as she floated backwards alongside her bearer. "Hurry up!"

Nadeshiko scratched her head and laughed nervously. "So bubbly..."

"Even more so now that she's dating Kairi..." Utau rolled her eyes. "I guess we're going, then."

"Dance wild  
Hear the lion roar  
Run fast, run fast to the sunrise  
Go wild  
Eat you to the core"

As we entered the club, the wildly flickering strobe lights and flashing colors illuminated the mass of figures on the shining dance floor, hands lifted to the ceiling that moved with the pulse of hypnotic, heart-pounding music. A DJ with headphones on his ears above the throng, nodding his head to the beat as he gestured to a line of grinning, panting people asking for song requests. Near the back, there was a bar surrounded by customers of all sorts, and off to the sides there were rooms and couches with groups of giggling girls and arrogantly smiling guys.

Nadeshiko giggled and clapped her hands. I LOVE this song!" With that, she disappeared onto the dance floor with Alex in tow, swallowed up by the crowd.

"Awesome!" Yaya gushed, and dragged Kairi to the edge of the floor, where the two were pulled away into the crowd of sweating, grinding bodies.

"I think I'll get something to drink," Tadase told me, and began trying to inch his way around the mob with a blushing, slightly wary look.

"...Commoners should make way for the king..." I heard Kiseki say.

I sent a lazy grin towards Utau, who rolled her eyes at me. "Wanna dance?"

"Whatever, kid." She winked at me and tugged me away, and with a chorus of happy, yelling voices in my ear, the two of us were lost in pulsing lights and the hard press of bodies.

"Dance wild  
Hear the lion roar  
Go fast  
Go fast to the sunrise  
Go Wild  
Eat you to the core"

"You suck at dancing, as always," Utau whispered in my ear, and I jumped, turning to look at her in surprise. She was covering a her chuckle with her hand as the two of us swayed to the beat (admittedly she better than I.)

"Then why don't you teach me how to dance?" I smirked and slid my hands around her waist.

She murmured seductively in my ear, "How about the horizontal tango?"

"Sounds... entertaining." I gripped her hips and pulled her closer, bending down slightly, letting my lips hover over hers just the barest of a fraction and feeling a smile curve on her mouth.

"Cause I'm a carnivore  
I've got you in my sight  
You don't need her no more  
Let me taste you tonight"

Suddenly her phone buzzed, and she growled, managing to twist her body and snatch her phone, flipping it open and reading a text aloud.

_Just because I'm not there doesn't mean there won't be hell to pay if anything happens between you and Kukai. ~Ikuto_

"How does he do that?" I muttered.

* * *

_"Unhh..." Amu rubbed her head as she sat up. "Oh, it's almost nine..." She blinked and rubbed the crust from her eyes. "Hmm..."_

_I feel surprisingly well-rested, she realized, and smiled to herself. Something irked at her, tugging in the back of her memory, something important..._

_Suddenly pain surged inside her head, and she cried out in pain, clutching at her skull. A dark, metallic whisper filled her ears. She shut her eyes, and the golden Amulet around her neck shone with power, vibrating with energy. The whisper grew into a screech of agony. As soon as the pain had begun, it had stopped. __"Just a headache," Amu mumbled to her self, wincing as she rubbed her temples._

**_"Against will and reason Death shall be undone  
__The demon of ink has only begun."_**

_Amu shivered at the creepy rhyme. It's nothing, she told herself, although it tugged at her incessantly._

_Where are my guardian characters? Amu wondered, then shrugged. Probably went with my friends to the club... I should probably head down._

_Glancing around, she grabbed her clutch and stuffed her room key in, and headed out, into the silent hall._

_With a click and a crash, the door next to her swung open fast and slammed into the wall. Amu let out a terrified shriek and leapt away, falling onto her back and scrambling backwards._

_Her guardian character Su along with Pepe floated in the doorway."Whoopsie..." Su said contritely. "We didn't mean to do that..."_

_"Su!" Amu jumped to her feet and snatched both charas and began to shake them. "What were you guys doing?! You gave me a heart attack!"_

_"S-Sorry, ~desu," Su cried, looking slightly dizzy. "We were taking care of Mr. Neko..."_

_"... Neko? Oh, Ikuto—?" Amu's eyes widened. "He's still not feeling well?"_

_"Perhaps could you be worrying about him?" Pepe asked slyly._

_"N-Not at all!" Amu crossed her arms and looked away stubbornly. "Stupid cat is always hurting himself..." She snuck a glance at the open door. "But, maybe, you know, if he isn't feeling okay... I should check on him, just in case..." She stepped tentatively into the dark room. She did not notice the look exchanged by the two guardian characters, who snuck away into a different part of the room to alert their friends._

_The door swung closed, and Amu was left alone in darkness. Being the scaredy-cat she was, she flipped out. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

* * *

_As Tadase stood waiting patiently in the mile-long line to buy a drink, the sight of a familiar figure clad in a tight, irredescent black tube dress with sparkling blossoms trailing from her breasts down her waist and silvery sneakers caught his eye. He looked with suspicion, and felt his stomach drop unpleasantly. There was no mistaking the long violet hair that swung as she swayed her hips or the red ribbon with purple sakura dangling from the ends that held back her locks._

_There was also no mistaking the tall, dark-haired guy she was dancing with, and smiling up at with happy eyes._

_Entirely forgetting his drink, Tadase turned on his heel and strode away, strange emotions roiling in his chest and clouding his head until he had little chance of recognizing them on his own. Sitting down hard in a booth off to the side, he dared not look back._

_Tadase frowned. What was wrong with him? Nadeshiko was happy. He wanted her to be happy. And from all he had seen of Alex and the surety of every one of his friends and their guardian characters, he truly was a really good person. There was no reason to think badly of him._

_Nadeshiko... what was she, to him? He supposed they didn't know each other very well, they hadn't even known that each other had existed until almost three months ago. But it felt like he had known her forever. Could that be simply because she looked like Nagihiko, a friend he'd known and been close to for over half his life? But then, he'd never been as close to Nagihiko as he was with Nadeshiko. She was the girl who knew everything about him. The one person, he realized, he depended on more than he had on anyone before._

_She was his best friend, nothing more._

_Tadase rubbed his eyes and sighed. He was just feeling possessive, right? Because nothing else made any sense. There was no other answer._

_So why was it, then, that the image of himself dancing with her instead seemed to have branded itself into his mind?_

* * *

_"Find your happy place, find your happy place, find your happy place—" Amu whimpered, rocked back and forth in a ball on the ground._

_The sound of a flush nearby made Amu scream and flail wildly, landing face-first._

_"Ow..." She moaned, voice muffled by the fluffy carpet._

_A bright light shone onto the floor, and Ikuto stepped out of the bathroom, wearing dark jeans. Droplets of water ran down his naked chest and collarbone as he rubbed his face in a fluffy white towel hung around his neck. He stopped as he saw Amu laying face down on the carpet in front of him. "...Amu?"_

_"I-Ikuto!" Amu hopped to her feet. "Uhm... So, um... are you feeling well?" She asked awkwardly, toying nervously with her hair and desperately trying to stamp down the rise of sensations and emotions that were always associated with Ikuto: heart pounding wildly, heating cheeks, smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, love._

_No, she told herself. It's over. You aren't going out anymore, so just ignore it. It has to go away someday._

_"You didn't go to the club." Ikuto rubbed the towel over his hair to dry it and tossed it aside._

_"N-No." Amu looked away, trying to keep herself from looking at him. "I was really tired, but I'm headed there now."_

_"So am I." Ikuto crossed his arms. "I'm feeling better. But what exactly are you doing in my room?"_

_"I was... just coming in to check on you," She said lamely, mentally smacking herself._

_"Oh." He looked at her quizzically. "Why?"_

_"Because, you were ill," She muttered. "Anyways, we should get going..."_

_"Were you worried about me?" Ikuto asked calmly._

_"O-Of course not!" Amu shook her head, blushing fiercely. "Not at all!"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you come in to my room?"_

_"Because—because—" Amu looked around wildly, as if looking for some reason to swoop down and enter her head. "Because—"_

_"Whatever, it doesn't matter." Ikuto turned away. "I'm going to get dressed."_

_Amu watched him go, feeling her heart tighten in her chest. She opened her mouth, taking a step forward, and hesitated, unsure of what she was going to say._

_He turned back."What?"_

_"I—I—" Amu gulped and shook her head. "Nothing."_

_"I see." A flicker of saddened disappointment crossed his expression before he headed into his room and closed the door._

_"Urgh." Amu sat down hard on the chaise, closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands. I need to get over him, she told herself miserably. We're not together, we've broken up, it's not going to happen again, no matter how much I want it to._

_I shouldn't love him anymore._

_The bedroom door opened, and Ikuto stepped out, having thrown on a plain black t-shirt. Amu tried to stifle the catch in her throat upon seeing him, but the soft 'ah' escaped anyways._

_Ikuto stopped and looked at her, pausing for a second as their eyes met, golden honey to midnight blue. A strange, almost heavy sort of melancholy sadness pressed on Amu's heart as they watched each other, and she knew how impossible it would be to live without him._

_The only thought in her mind the drive to reach him, she strode forward and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. Ikuto, freezing in surprise for a fleeting second responded by wrapping his own arms around her waist, pulling her in a tight embrace, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around in a circle. In the space of infinity that stretched out within the barest moment, the two clung to each other, swaying in place, desperate to convey every bottled-up, painful emotion through the perfect symphony of touch that filled their heads._

_Heart stuttering in her chest and lungs empty of air, Amu pulled away, breathing hard as she stared at him. "I love you," She whispered, and buried her face into his neck._

_He stroked the back of her head, his breath tickling her ear. "I love you, too."_

_She lifted her head to look at him, and smiled tremulously, eyes shining as she stretched upwards like plant to sunlight, brushing his lips with her own, a soft, sweet kiss. She felt him smile against her mouth, and he pulled her down for a longer one, both their hearts soaring on the wings of an angel across the starry twilight sky._

* * *

"Baby, kiss me drunk  
Don't think, just do it"

"I love this song!" Nadeshiko shouted, and dragged a bemused but happy Alex back out onto the dance floor.

I sighed. "It's been two hours. Aren't they going to take a break longer than a few seconds?"

"Baby, kiss me drunk  
Let's get to it"

Amu shrugged and smiled up at Ikuto, resting her head in content on his shoulder. "I dunno."

"Amu looks so happy!" Ran giggled, holding hands with Daichi.

Miki nudged her. "And you do, too." Ran blushed.

"I'm so tired of thinking  
Just keep on drinking  
You up, baby, up, baby  
Drink u-u-u-up"

"Hey, I got the drinks," Utau said cheerfully, and set down an array of colorful-looking aluminum cans. "So I got a Pepsi for me, a strawberry Fanta for Amu, a root beer for Rima, a blue Mountain Dew for Nagihiko and a Fresca for... Nadeshiko? Where...? a ginger ale for Tadase, and a water for Yaya and Kairi to share."

Yaya sulked. "I wanted pop, too..."

"But then you'd be way too hyped up," Utau said disapprovingly, giving Yaya a motherly look. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we? Kairi would have to take you home."

"Whoa, whoa  
And I'm dancing alone  
Like whoa  
Won't answer the phone

"And then find some way to tire you you out," Rima added with a suggestive wink. Kusukusu snickered. The two turned bright red and sunk down in their seats, Yaya toying nervously with her bow necklace.

"Imma go dance," Amu got to her feet with Ikuto, the two holding tight to each others' hands and looking at each other with large beaming faces, Amu's charas trailing after her and dancing in a circle around her head like a halo.

"I've never seen Ikuto with such an innocent smile on his face," Utau observed. "Well, I'm glad they're back together."

"Too bad, though." I sighed. "If only he weren't here still..."

"Ugh, yeah." Utau covered her face. "I swear I'm never going to get to be alone with you until he dies. And even then, he'd probably come back as a ghost just to follow us around so we can't do anything then."

"He has Amu for a distraction, at least," I said hopefully.

"Don't keep me waiting, baby  
You are my drug  
Drink u-u-u-up

"Drink it down"

About an hour after arriving, Ikuto and Amu had shown up, holding each others' hands with happy expressions. Almost immediately, Ikuto had leapt forward to tug Utau and I apart (which was stupid, we were only making out) and scolding us as Amu giggled and teased us. (All right, so maybe her hands were unbuttoning my shirt and I had hooked one of her legs up around my waist, but it wasn't that bad.) Then after dragging us to a nearby couch, Amu had disappeared into the crowd for a couple seconds to pull out Nagihiko and Nadeshiko, who had a crowd of people watching their apparently awesome dance moves, with Alex and Rima following behind. Yaya and Kairi had appeared out of nowhere, both flushed, Kairi looking a little pissed because some American dude hit on her. And then a frowning Tadase had shown up, avoiding a hurt Nadeshiko's eyes.

"Baby, kiss me drunk  
Get a little crazy  
Baby, kiss me drunk  
Let's get lost, maybe

I think you should start wearing baggy clothing," Kairi told Yaya grumpily.

Yaya looked down at her black short-shorts in surprise, tugging at the strings on her low cut neon yellow tank top. "Really? Why?"

"Because... um, you have an attractive figure," Kairi muttered, blushing. "I don't want anyone else staring at you. You're mine."

Yaya's cheeks flooded with pink. "Kairi, I'm not a possession."

"But, you're still mine, and only mine," Kairi argued, stubbornly pulling her closer against her red-faced protests.

"She is correct, a lady is not a possession, but a blessing," Musashi told Kairi.

"Yes, I know, but that doesn't rule out that she is my girlfriend, and I don't want anyone else touching her," Kairi said curtly. "I want to be the only one to do that." He squeezed Yaya's thigh unconsciously.

"Whoa, whoa  
And I'm dancing alone  
Like whoa  
Won't answer the phone

"Don't keep me waiting, baby  
You are my drug  
Drink u-u-u-up

"Drink it down"

"Do you think Nadeshiko likes Alex?" Utau wondered thoughtfully over Yaya's uncontrollable stuttering. "Because the two haven't left each others' sides since we got here."

"It'd be kind of nice if they went out," Rima commented. "They seem like a good match."

Nagihiko crossed his arms. "He's a nice guy, but I don't think he's good enough to be my twin's boyfriend. Right, Tadase?"

"Hmm?" Tadase's eyes were fixated on the two. "Yup."

"Naw, I think Nade and Tada would make a much better couple," Yaya said wisely, the scarlet in her cheeks dying down. "You two are obviously waaaay into each other."

Tadase jumped and stared at her. "W-What?!"

Yaya giggled. "Totally! I mean, you are into her, right?"

Tadase (with an astonished and worried look on his face) was saved from attempting to answer that by Nadeshiko herself, who collapsed next to Tadase, panting heavily. "Alex's just gone to the bathroom," She told us.

Yaya immediately tried to question her. "Nadeshiko, do you like Ta—"

"Ooh, soda!" Azumi swooped towards Nade's Fresca, accidentally knocking over Yaya's open water bottle into the air.

"Hey!" Yaya grabbed at her bottle frantically, fumbling and letting it slip through her fingers.

Quick as a whip, Nadeshiko snatched it from the air, somehow managing to catch every drop spilled.

"Whoa, whoa  
And I'm dancing alone  
Like whoa  
Won't answer the phone

My jaw dropped. "How did you do that?"

She smiled and shrugged, pointing to the dove that had replaced the blossoms on her hair ribbon. "Chara-change."

"What chara-change lets you do that?" Utau wondered.

"That is something I've been wondering at," Utau wondered, and we all looked at her expectantly.

"Well, because of where I lived before, I didn't have a lot of chances to be whatever I wanted to be," Nadeshiko said conversationally. "So I wanted to be, in simple terms, anything I wanted. That's why my character-transformation looks the way it does and I can do the things I do."

"Where did you live before, again?" I asked with interest.

Nadeshiko's face darkened, and Nagihiko interrupted, sending a worried glance at his twin before saying. "It doesn't really matter, does it? So who wants to dance? I do!" And with that, he grabbed his twin's hand and pulled her on to the dance floor, swept away by the throng.

"Weird," I said, looking after them.

"Dancing is not a bad idea," Utau mused. "Come on, kid. Let's see if we can find time to do that horizontal tango."

"Freaking perverts," Rima muttered.

* * *

_Nagihiko pulled his sister out on the opposite side of the dancing mob, pulling her down onto the couch. "Hey, hey, it's okay, shh.."_

_Tears were spilling down her cheeks and her shoulders were shaking as she clung to her brother, burying her face in his shoulder and neck. "I—I'm sorry," She said weakly, voice trembling. "He just asked, and I lost it..."_

_"It's okay," Nagihiko said soothingly. "It's all over, you're okay." He hugged her tight, rocking her back and forth. "Shh..."_

_Nadeshiko took a deep breath and met her twin's eyes, attempting a smile. "I'm really glad I told you, Nagi."_

_He gave her a sad smile. "Me, too. It would've been bad if you were still alone. And, Nadeshiko, do you think someday you'll tell them?"_

_Memories seemed to flash across her eyes in wisps, an image of a girl weeping over a lifeless form, a figure sprinting away from a dying house wearing only a sweater over ratty old pajamas, face unseen._

_"Don't keep me waiting, baby_  
_You are my drug_  
_Drink u-u-u-up_

_"Drink it down..."_

_"I don't know."_

* * *

_Tadase got up. "I'll be in the bathroom if you guys need me."_

_"Don't stay in there too long," Ikuto teased him. "You always take forever."_

_Tadase just nodded absently, eyes following the direction of where Nadeshiko and Nagihiko had gone. When his friends' backs were turned, he slipped into the mob of people, trying to find the two. _

_"Oof!" Tadase was pushed from behind._

_"Oh, hey, I'm sorry, dude," An apologetic voice said. Tadase stiffened. "Oh, hey!"_

_Alex smiled cheerfully at him. "It's good to see you," He said slowly. Tadase nodded and gave him a tight smile. "Have you seen Nadeshiko?"_

_Tadase shook his head and struggled to speak. "I am... looking... for Nadeshiko now."_

_"Ah." Alex nodded and grinned."Hey, she's pretty hot. Got a great ass, and those tits? Wow. Think I could get a little alone time with her?" He nudged Tadase playfully._

_Rage filled the Tadase's ears. And he clenched his jaw tight, balling his fists in fury._

_"A king does not let a commoner's insults affect him," Kiseki said quietly._

_The blonde relaxed and nodded imperceptibly, forcing a strained smile and "Okay" from his mouth before excusing himself and hurrying away._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	30. Nagihiko, Pervert Extraordinaire!

**Hello, hello, Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!. And I don't know if Mt. CurlieCue is really a fro-yo shop, but I got that idea based off of the fro-yo shops in my area, so...**

* * *

**Nagihiko**

On the 25th of June during our speed-of-the-moment trip, it was a beautiful, bright day, the sky a crystal-clear blue with wispy, quickly disappearing clouds in the late morning radiance of the sun. The soft-sanded beaches and well-paved streets were slowly gathering with people as Rima, Nadeshiko and Tadase walked together, taking a walk towards a location where a cooking class had been advertised. Although, the atmosphere around the four of us was perhaps a little tense, seeing as my hurt sister was furiously berating Tadase for his sudden coldness towards Alex ever since the first day of our trip.

"God, why are you being so weird?" Nadeshiko said angrily. "What is it, exactly, that Alex did to make you hate him?"

Tadase crossed his arms. "You know why. He told me he was looking to... to do things with you."

She threw her hands up in the air. "Ugh! I don't know why you're trying to accuse him of that! I know he's not that kind of guy, Hotori-kun!"

"I heard what he told me," Tadase insisted.

"Well maybe you just heard wrong."

"Why don't we leave these two to duke—I mean, talk it out?" I murmured to Rima, who nodded fervently, and the two of us backed away slowly, nervously eyeing my female counterpart who currently held a flaming aura and seemed about to throttle her feminine male friend. I suppose I wasn't meeting the standards of a good brother by refusing to support my sister (because really, he had been ignoring her) but I've seen her when she's mad, and it's like my chara-change with Temari on steroids.

"I know I should feel bad about ditching them," I said to Rima, rubbing the back of my head ruefully.

Rima scoffed. "Are you kidding? I don't want to get caught in that crossfire. If I did, I'd probably get a limb bitten off or something."

"That's true," I admitted. "But they were supposed to come with us to that cooking class."

"Yeah I guess," Rima shrugged. "And it would've been nice to go with someone who isn't a perverted crossdresser with purple hair."

I chuckled. "Apologies, Mistress."

"Just shut up, Crossdresser."

"You promised you wouldn't call me that again."

"I'll call you Crossdresser as long as you keep up your stupid hentai antics, Crossdresser."

"Yes, Mistress."

"You keep using the same jokes. Obviously you're too stupid to come up with anything new and creative."

"Yes, Mistress."

"See? Stu-pid. I'm stuck with a baka who can't even come up with a good comeback."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Cut it out."

I grinned. "Does it annoy you? Mistress? Perhaps my repetitive phrase is irking you."

"As if. I'm not even bothered by something so trivial."

"Are you sure, Mistress?"

"Shut up. Actually, I since I won that sparkle-attack war, you're my slave. So I order you to shut up."

"Yes, Mistress." I pretended to lock my mouth with a key and stuff it in my pocket.

"Good. Now I don't have to hear your annoying voice."

"Chara-change!"

Pop! Blue headphones appeared around my neck, and I grinned at Rima, feeling a sort of cocky, flirty nonchalance fill my ears. "You do now."

_"Rhythm!" _I yelled inside my head. _"What are you doing?!"_

_"Sorry, bad habit,"_ Rhythm said cheerfully.

_"Bad habit?! What are you talking about?!"_

"I ordered you to shut up." Rima crossed her arms, annoyed. "Now be quiet, slave."

"Oh, I don't think so." I bent down and put a finger under her chin. "I'm revolting. Turning against your opression. I'm no longer your slave. In fact..." I pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. "I think I just might turn you into my slave now."

She went red and tried to pull out of my strong grip. "Let go of me, you pervert."

"Such a naughty slave," I purred. "I think I'm going to have to punish you now."

"I'm going to bite you," Rima warned.

"And I'll..." I lowered my head and let my lips graze her ear. "Bite back."

"Eeek!" She gasped and nearly fell over. I moved quickly to keep her from falling, grinning cheekily at her. She blinked, then opened her mouth in a mad _o_ and pinched me _hard._

"Ooow!" I let go and felt the headphones disappear, checking my forearm. "That hurt."

"It was supposed to!" Rima said angrily. "Stupid!" She turned away.

"S-Sorry," I said sheepishly. "Involuntary chara-change."

"Whatever," Rima snapped. "Let's just get to the class."

"I really am sorry," I pleaded. "I promise, I would never have done that to you." Since we're still only friends, I added silently.

Just shut up and let's hurry so we won't be late," Rima muttered, and walked stiffly away, not bothering to see if I would follow.

I gave a scary look at my male chara. "You should watch it... you never know when bad things will happen," I said pleasantly.

Rhythm gulped, wiping a trickle of sweat from his temple. I smiled in satistfaction.

* * *

_"Ahh, it didn't last," Temari blew out her lips. "And I was so sure, too..."_

_"It did seem like it would work," Rhythm agreed._

_Kusukusu giggled. "Rima was blushing really badly, though!"_

_"Why don't we try again in the cooking class?" Temari suggested. "There's bound to be a good opportunity there."_

_Rhythm nodded, deep in thought. "They're cooking pizza, right? I suppose, it would work..."_

_Kusukusu shrugged. "I just wanna see Rima blush again!"_

* * *

"Now I don't want any disruptions," The sensei said sharply, tapping the board with his pointer. "No interruptions, no talking unless I give permission, no unecessary or outrageous messes. Just follow along and learn. I will show you the door, if you fail to meet these standards."

"I don't understand half of what he's saying, but he looks absolutely terrifying," Rima whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I stifled a smile and nudged her to be quiet.

"Now, there should be a mixture of ingredients set out in front of you now: eggs, flour, olive oil, yeast..." Sensei droned on.

Looking down onto the granite island table, I saw, to my surprise, that there was only enough for one pizza, even though upon first entering I could have sworn I'd seen enough for two.

"Chara-change!"

_"Ryhthm..."_

_"It's involuntary, I swear!"_

I raised my hand. "Yes?" Sensei said, annoyed.

I struggled (both trying to shove down my chara-change and speak fluently) "Sens—Teacher... my... ingredients..."

"What are you babbling about, boy? Ah. I see you do not have enough ingredients. Share with the person next to you. As I was saying..."

"Perfect," I murmured, and slid closer to Rima.

"What are you doing?" Rima hissed.

"I don't have any ingredients, so you and I have to share a pizza," I said innocently.

"No way!"

"Is there a problem?" Sensei asked sternly, turning the attention to Rima. She shook her head. "Good. Now, to continue..." He began to describe how to mix some of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

"...Egg..." Rima plucked the round white object and raised it as if to throw it hard onto the ground.

"You're doing it wrong," I whispered cheerfully, and stepped behind her, moving my hands to join hers and leading her stiff fingers to the bowl. "Like this." I tapped it gently on the side of the ceramic bowl and pulled apart the shells. "In it goes." She seethed. "Shh, Rima, don't disrupt the class. Wouldn't want Sensei to kick us out, now, would you?"

"Watch it, Crossdresser."

"...Olive oil. Now mix it all together..."

"You have to be rough," I murmured into her ear as I helped her mix the ingredients together. "Kind of like a beating. Or a punishment."

Her hands faltered. "I'm going to kill you."

"... Press the dough..."

"But you also have to be gentle. don't slam into it too hard. And it's best to work into a rhythm."

Rima's hands were shaking. "I swear, you are dead meat."

"...Sauce, cheese and toppings..."

"You have to spread it all everywhere so that it coats everything in the sticky, gooey... sauce."

"I'm not even going to wait till this class is over. You're going to die." By now she could barely hold the spreading spoon or the glass jar.

"...Into the oven..."

"It has to get burning hot so that it rises and swells." She almost dropped the unfinished creation.

"I think I'll use that pizza cutter to murder you."

"...And there you have it. Now, before we clean up, why don't we all taste our creations?"

Our pizza had sizzling, greasy pepperoni and colorful bell peppers scattered across thick, soft dough and melty cheese. I cut it into pieces and released her to take a bite out of my pizza, letting the cheese stretch far. "Finger-licking," I smirked.

Her face was red as the tomato sauce as she held up the pizza cutter. "I'm going to kill you now."

"Wait, before you do that..." I firmly tugged the slicer out of her strong grip and put it out of reach, picking up another slice and coaxed her to open her mouth. "Open wide!"

"Put. The pizza. Down."

I teased, "Don't you want to see how... luscious it is?"

She tried to push past me to get to the pizza cutter.

"Come on, Rima, open up," I grinned as she grabbed the pizza and chomped down hard on it viciously. I pulled a napkin from the table and patted her mouth with it. "Nummy, nummy."

Her cheeks flared, and she snarled, "That is _it!"_

"EXCUSE ME!" Sensei roared, and marched over to us. "YOU ARE DISRUPTING MY CLASS. NOW GET OUT!"

Rima fumed for a second, then bowed respectfully. "Apologies, sir," She said through clenched teeth. "We will leave right away."

And with that she stormed out the door, leaving me to follow after her with lecherous, crooked smile.

And then I broke out of my chara-change.

"RHYTHM, YOU'RE DEAD!"

* * *

_It was witching-hour in Osaka, when the light was brightest and bluish, when the volume of the city lowered and nighttime filled the ears of those still awake. It was the hour when shadows were darker than pitch-black and fear tugged at the hearts of the brave, crushing in on the souls of the weak._

_Somewhere a clock-hand, the simple black line, moved just a flicker down the face of the clock, another second. Past a closed door, a young girl sat up slowly, opening dull, lifeless eyes slightly hidden behind knotted, mussed hair. No more than six, the child pushed back the thin sheets of her bed and got out, moving robotically towards the door, opening it with a creak. With jerky, mechanical steps, she thudded quietly down the stairs, opening the house's front door with a squeak. A thin, whispering chill slid into the room, and the girl was gone, walking off into the night, still barefoot and wearing loose white pajamas that shone brightly under the light of the skies._

_Down street after street, past block after block, she walked, emotionless, though her feet grew pink and raw and her trailing pants were covered in dirt._

_Another appeared figure next to her, an elderly man who limped with arthritic bones and sagging yellow skin. Neither took any notice of the other, but simply walked mindlessly to their destination. Another joined, then another, and another, until the streets were filled with thousands of people, of men, women and children, of dogs and cats, wild birds, all moving in a senseless horde towards their destination, the ruffle of quiet noise, of cloth ruffling against cloth and skin ominous._

_It was in the middle of a crossroads in an old, ghetto neighborhood that it happened. All at once, every single creature stopped as one, the remnants of what little noise shredding to smithereens. For the eternity of one endless moment, the swarm seemed to wait, one, two, three seconds, eerie silence slipping throughout..._

_Then a piercing, high-pitched whine filled the air, ringing and rebounding off buildings, and every single one fell to their knees, head arched to the sky, wide-eyed and openmouthed as their very life energy was torn from their spasming bodies._

* * *

"Come on, Rima, I really am sorry!"

Rima, who had been running away from me as fast as she could, glanced back at me for a second to give me a rude hand gesture before turning away and continuing to run.

I strode quickly and overtook her in a matter of seconds, taking her arm and pulling her to a stop. She ripped her arm out of my grip and crossed her arms, hiding behind her hair. "Gosh, Rima, I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise."

She glared up at me. "I don't care. Go away, pervert."

"Aw, jeez." I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

She was silent for a moment. Then, "No. Nothing."

"Please?" I asked desperately.

Kusukusu giggled. "Teehee! Don't worry Nagi, she's already forgiven you. She's just being stubborn."

"Kusukusu!" Rima gasped. "Shut up!"

"Oh, thank goodness." I breathed out in relief. For a second there, I was convinced she was going to start hating me again. "Nevertheless... let's get some ice cream, okay?"

Rima glared at her guardian character for another second, then nodded. "Sure, whatever."

"Look, there's one right there," I pointed out a fro-yo shop. "Mt. CurlieCue. Wanna try it?"

"Sure, I guess."

Inside the frozen yogurt place, The walls were decorated with colored mountains shaped like different flavored ice cream swirls: a vanilla mountain, strawberry, chocolate. Upside-down marachino cherries with their stems in the ground and inverted waffle cones as trees. Around a circular island cashier desk, stations with different types of frozen yogurt were lined up, then toppings. It was cool and inviting, with the promise of frozen yogurty goodness. It was, thankfully, not too crowded.

"I think we just grab a cup and start," I told her, doing so. "And then get frozen yogurt. Ooh, French Vanilla. And Cheesecake, yum! Or peanut butter and chocolate. Oh, Mango! Or strawberry?"

"Why don't you just get a little of all of them?" Rima demanded, already holding a huge vanilla frozen yogurt covered in diced canned peaches.

"That's kind of big, don't you think?" I observed. "Are you sure you can eat all that?"

"What, just 'cause I'm shorter than the average girl I can't eat as much as I want?"

"Um... no, but it's a lot of frozen yogurt." I chose one named 'Oreo's and Creme', raising an eyebrow at the thick white cream mixed with strange black chunks.

"What is that?" Rima wrinkled her nose. "It looks disgusting."

"I thought it sounded good," I said, hestitantly sniffing it. "I didn't realize it would have black bits in it. Well, I suppose I chose it, so I have to eat it..."

"Gross." She made a face. "Just get some toppings and let's eat."

We paid for the yogurt and pushed out the door, bell tinkling softly as we stepped into the courtyard to eat under the shade of rainbow umbrellas.

"Well... here goes..." I said nervously, dipping my spoon cautiously into the strange dessert, Rima watching gleefully. I put the spoon in my mouth, and my eyes widened. "Oh, my God."

"Disgusting?" Rima asked hopefully. I shook my head fervently.

"This is delicious!" I spooned more into my mouth, savoring the rich, sweet flavor.

"What?! Seriously?" She grabbed my bowl and shoved her spoon into it.

"Hey!" I said indignantly.

Here face lit up as she put her mouth on the spoon. "Oh, it's so good!" She gave a sweet giggle, a flowery aura now radiating off her skin.

I felt the corners of my mouth go up."You look so cute when you smile."

Rima went red. "I'm not cute!"

I laughed. "Sorry, I forgot you don't like being called that." I put a hand under her chin. "Then, you look beautiful."

"W-What are you doing, Crossdresser?" Rima snapped, pushing my hand away.

"Just giving you a compliment." I said honestly.

"Whatever." She crossed her arms and hunched down in her seat. I chuckled and turned back to my forzen yogurt, only to find two guardian characters lying down with content faces and bluding stomachs in my cup.

"HEY!" I plucked mine out of there. "What the heck? You guys ate all my frozen yogurt!"

"So delicious," Rhythm mumbled. "My tummy hurts."

"You should have eaten sparingly and properly," Temari scolded him. "You'll get fat. And your clothes are stained with ice cream."

"I don't care," Rhythm retorted.

Temari rolled her eyes. "You should. Now you look silly. See, my kimono is clean."

"Oh, yeah?" Rhythm floated towards her. "Gimme a HUG, little sister!"

"Ack! Get away from me!" Temari sped away as my other chara chased after, laughing evilly.

"Run, run, little sister!' Rhythm yelled. Then suddenly he yelped and sped away in the other direction. "AHHHHH!"

"I AM NOT YOUR IMOUTO!" Temari roared, chasing after him with a miniscule naginata.

"Aw, sibling love," Kusukusu said happily as she watched from the sidelines, rubbing her belly.

Rima sat back and sighed. "I've still got so much left..."

"I don't have any more, so we can share," I told her cheerfully.

"No way!" She pulled hers close to her possessively. "This is mine! And I'm still hungry, anyways!"

I observed, "But even if you do eat more, it would go faster if we both ate some."

She wavered. "I guess..."

"Perfct!" I dipped my spoon in, scooping up a peach cube along with vanilla fro-yo. "Yum."

"H-Hey, wait a second—"

I stuck my spoon in again. "It's pretty good. Not like my Oreo's and Creme, but still good."

"It's my fro-yo, let me have some," Rima said pointedly, going to pick up her spoon, only to find that Rhythm was now using it to defend against Temari's violent attack. "Rhythm! I want my spoon!"

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY WITH IT RIGHT NOW," Rhythm shouted. "I PROMISE I'LL GIVE IT BACK AS SOON AS MY SISTER STOPS TRYING TO MURDER ME!"

"Here, we can share mine." I scooped up more. "Open wide."

"NO."

"Come on. Open up," I coaxed. She hesitated, then shook her head. "Fine, then I'll eat the rest myself."

With that, Rima opened her mouth and glomped down on the spoon. "There. Happy?"

"Now, now, you have to eat more." I said patiently.

"Nagihiko? Rima?" The two of us looked up in surprise to see Nadeshiko. She wiped at her eyes, which seemed a little puffy.

"Oh, Nade, what's wrong?" We both stood and hurried over to her. I took her by the shoulders. "Hey, come on, it's okay."

She shook her head savagely. "Stupid Hotori-kun."

"What did he do?" I asked sternly. "Tell me, and I promise I'll beat him up for you."

Nade laughed humorlessly. "It doesn't matter, anyways. And I'm going to kill the little bastard myself."

"What'd he tell you?" Rima crossed her arms.

"He's stuck on accusing Alex of being a player that just wants to get in my pants. the idiot got all mad at me when I kept telling him that Alex isn't like that, and he said that 'I shouldn't be so naive and trust him at all'."

I clenched my teeth. "Where is he now?"

"No idea." She shrugged. "Don't care, anyways." She looked so hurt and angry I didn't know what to say. Already I was worried about her, after she told me everything... and now that she had to deal with Tadase...

"Let's get you some frozen yogurt." I put an arm around her shoulder, Rima taking her hand comfortingly, and steered her into the shop.

* * *

_With a gasp, the little girl sat up, staring around her wildly. Her hair was ragged, her clothes torn and dirty. The night was still in full bloom, the shadows still haunting, and the wind softly toying with her hair seemed to whisper dark things in her ears. The girl cried out as she her eyes fixated around her, seeing thousands upon thousands of motionless bodies. The evil hissing grew louder, drawing closer and closer..._

_She curled into a ball and shook with terror, clinging to herself and rocking back and forth, shaking her head. "Mommy, mommy, I want mommy..." She chanted, tears leaving dried streaks on her cheeks._

_Something brushed her hair, and the girl shrieked, panicking and leaping away, scrambling around. Her eyes grew wide._

_A rasping, hideous thing towered over her, a slimy black creature with a mangled, distorted humanoid body, with a swelled, misshapen torso, a long, curving neck, spindly arms and legs. Its skull-like face had empty, pitch-black eye sockets, and a black, gaping mouth. Every inch of the monstrous being reeked and dripped a tarry, sticky black susbtance that shone like ink._

_"Come here, little girl," It crooned in a sickly sweet voice, high like a child's. It lifted a spidery, twitchy had and beckoned her closer._

_The little girl shrieked and sobbed, trying to get away from the demon, but it laughed its creepy falsetto and inched closer. "Go away!"_

_"Go away?" The demon giggled. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Let's stay together and be best friends for ever and ever and ever..."_

_"MOMMY!" The girl screamed, and scrambled to her feet, running as fast as her short, stubby legs could carry her._

_In a flash, the demon was in front of her, still giggling. "Bad little girl! Bad, bad, bad!" Its wide, gaping mouth curved into a wide smile with long, pointed teeth, and pupiless, bulging eyes rolled up into its eye sockets."Wanna play?" I asked in a sing-song voice._

_Tears were flowing down the girl's face as she shook her head, frightened cries erupting from her throat, loud in the empty in the cold silence of the street and horrid with the bodies piled everywhere._

_"Playtime," The thing cackled, and flew straight at the screaming child._

* * *

It was mid-afternoon by the time we headed back to the hotel, laughing and chattering. Nadeshiko was in a slightly better mood, although the fight seemed to weigh heavily in her mind.

Rima was talking about Amu's birthday a year ago, when Ikuto had appeared out of nowhere at her party. "...And then when the two came back, Amu was red as a tomato and Ikuto was grinning, and Utau said, 'Ooh, what happened between you two?' And Ikuto said, 'I took her virginity', and Amu totally freaked and started beating him up, wailing, 'No he didn't! No he didn't!'"

Nadeshiko busted out laughing. "Oh, God, I can totally see her doing that!"

"Exactly," I wiped a tear from my eye. "So then Ikuto puts his arms around her and says, 'Aw, denying our passionate love already? That's okay, I still have our erotic memories from when you let me stay at your house when you were a kid.' So then Amu flips out and starts screaming a bunch of stuff no one could understand, and when then her dad came into the living room and saw him trying to kiss her—"

"So he yells 'Get away from my innocent little Amu, you disgusting pervert!', and starts chasing him around the room and then out the door," Rima managed to choke out.

The three of us laughed hysterically, practically rolling around on the ground and clutching our stomachs and earning several curious, interested looks from a couple strangers.

The sound of a phone reaching tickled our ears, and Rima fumbled around in her pockets. "Hey Amu. What's up? Oh, we're almost at the hotel. Wait, he's what? You're kidding, right? Ugh, that little bastard, do you know what he did to Nade...? He didn't tell you, huh. Hold on a sec." She held the phone away from her ear. "Amu says Tadase is apparently trying to drown himself in the showers. All she can get out of him is, 'I can't believe she doesn't trust me.'"

"He's seriously pouting in the bathroom?" Nadeshiko said incredulously. She scoffed and began striding fast towards the hotel, fists clenched.

"Hey, wait a second!" The two of us chased after her. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you'll see." She looked extremely pissed. "When I get my hands on that asshole..."

"Uhh..." Rima and I looked at each other and gulped nervously. "You know, maybe—"

"What?" She turned and looked at me, hands on her hips and burning eyes.

I raised my hands. "Nothing, nothing."

She began to run at full tilt, sprinting across the asphalt, and we followed, unsure of what exactly was going to happen.

Nadeshiko burst through the doors of the hotel and stormed up a flight of stairs and down the hallway, banging on the door to Yaya, Kairi, hers and Tadase's suite. Amu opened the door, surprised, and Nadeshiko pushed past her. "What—"

Rima began to tell her Nadeshiko's side of the story. Amu frowned and crossed her arms.

"That's... it doesn't sound like something he would do, but..."

Ikuto crossed the room to stand in front of the bathroom door. "Whoa, hold it, what's—"

"MOVE IT!" Nadeshiko roared, and Ikuto leapt out of the way in shock as Nadeshiko pushed her way into the bathroom.

The six of us just managed to push our way into the doorway of the bathroom to see Nadeshiko punch Tadase in the face.

* * *

_The little girl cowered, hands raised in a pitiful shield as the demon, foaming black spittle at the mouth and dripping black fingers, threw itself towards her._

_There wa the sound of three ear-piercing gunshots, and the monster shrieked, flying off course and landing next to the screaming girl in a heap. Quick as a flash, three bullets popped out of the monster's forehead, and it was back in a crouch, with wild, roving eyes at the round, smoking holes on its forehead closed up._

_But the little girl was gone._

_The squeal of tires and rubber on street squealed through the night, and the black car peeled away, zooming far, far away._

* * *

"What the hell gives you the right to mope and sulk when I'm the one that's hurt?" Nadeshiko snarled.

Tadase was clutching his cheek in stunned silence. Then he got to his feet. "You hit me!"

"Because you deserved it, you moron!" Nadeshiko yelled. "You hurt me, and insulted Alex, and now you're moping in the bathroom like it's the other way round! You have no right!"

He glared at her. "Hell yeah, I do."

It was silent as we gaped at him. Not once in all the years that any of us had known him, I don't think any of us has ever heard him use profanity.

"Oh, whatever," Nadeshiko sneered, utterly unfazed by his language. "How did I hurt you, huh? I haven't done anything. Not. One. Thing. So you just shut up and stop—"

"—God, you're so trusting, you won't see—"

"—you have absolutely no proof, you're just accusing him—"

"—I heard what he said! Do you not trust me enough to even think about it—"

"—he's a good guy, you don't have any reason to not like him, so stop being a jerk—"

"SHUT UP!" Ikuto roared, and pulled the two apart. Nadeshiko was in tears, and Tadase looked close to them himself. "You both are being stupid. Now, I don't know what happened exactly, but we're going to figure this out. Now both of you, go to your rooms—" He stopped. "Oh, wait. Fujisaki, go to your room. Tadase, go to my room. Once you've both calmed down, we'll work things out from there."

Nadeshiko pushed her way out of the door, teardrops sparkling her cheeks, and for a moment Tadase looked ashamed and guilty. As if sensing his distress, Nadeshiko paused and looked back, and the two met eyes, before she turned away and shut the door to her hotel bedroom with a bang.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	31. I Can See EVERYTHING! BWAHAHAHAHA!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

"You've got to be freaking kidding me."

It was the fourth and final day of the trip, past a steaming afternoon of sunbathing underneath the hot sky into the evening hours of the sunset. Now, palm trees' leaves swayed in growing breezes still too small to be any relief, and waves moved in beckoning, rushing at this time we would be home. Today, with its sluggish heat and finality, was day to forget. However, as of the past couple minutes, my original plan to hide out in my room, away from the heat, had disappeared.

"I. Am not. Going. To wear that." I say very calmly, giving every single one of my female friends an icy look. "Ever. In my life."

"Please?" Yaya begged, giving me the puppy-dog eyes. "Come on, Nade, I know it'll look great on you!"

I cross my arms. "I don't care. I am not going to wear any of them."

Amu picked up and wiggled the light pink, lacy push-up bra. The item in itself wasn't that bad, but paired with the matching thong and the sexy PJs, the thought of wearing that wasn't even considerable. I was not going to wear that to the PJ luau.

"Alex would like it," Utau tried to entice me.

"Or Tadase," Rima snickered. I glared at her.

"No, he wouldn't. Now, get it out of my sight, I am wearing my normal jammies and nothing else."

"Come on, at least wear the bra!" Yaya pleaded. "Or the thong. Or both! Or all three! Just please, for us?"

I sighed. "Fine, sure, whatever. Then will you guys leave me alone?"

"Yes!" They tossed the disgusting combination at me and fled the room, giggling and cheering like idiots.

For the past few days, they'd been trying to set me up with either Hotori-kun or Alex. As it was, the invitation we'd gotten from Alex earlier today to a luau on the beach in pajamas was apparently a gift sent straight from heaven to my girl friends, and ever since they'd been dragging me off to find the sexiest nightwear that still had some decency. (Which, from the looks of the outfit, decency had been left to die in a hole.) God forbid Tadase, the asshole, who I still refused to be in the same room with. And he'd continued to be cold to Alex to the point he had obviously noticed but was too polite to say anything.

I picked up the thong and tossed it into my open suitcase without a backwards glance, and grabbed the bra, sticking my tongue out at the unmentionable nightgown. At least this bra wasn't see-through like the nightie, nor did it clasp in the front... or have a you-know-what hole like the underwear. In a matter of minutes, I'd reluctantly thrown on the bra, a plain grey camisole, and simple pink PJ shorts.

The loud crash of door on wall shocked me out of my reverie, and Yaya, Amu, Rima and Utau burst into the room. "Nade, are you done?!" Yaya practically shouted.

"Ah, yes, I'm done," I told her.

"Yesss!" She pumped her fist in the air, sending the long ribbons on her pink camisole flying.

Rima strode behind me and began feeling up my breasts. "Not bad!"

"RIMA! STOP GROPING ME!" I screeched.

Utau poked at my boob. "Hmm. Perky. Whaddya think, Hotori-kun?"

Tadase went red. "W-What?! Why are you asking me?!"

"Guys, stop being perverts," Amu scolded. "And Tadase is obviously into it, just look at his cheeks! Now there's just the question of Alex."

"What is wrong with you guys?" I mutter.

The rest of our friends poked their heads into the room, seeing what the commotion was. "What the heck are you guys doing?" Kukai appeared in sweats and an old, ratty t-shirt.

"Come on, guys!" Yaya said cheerfully, practically yanking my arm off as she pulled me past them, my female friends following.

"Yaya, please stop yanking my twin's arm off," Nagihiko said calmly, managing to release me.

"Nice pants," I told him. He smiled and shrugged, tugging nonchalantly at his violently blue pants and loose, longsleeved white shirt, rolling up his sleeves.

"Almost as nice as those shorts, sister dear."

"Why don't we head out?" I suggested, checking my watch. "Because, you know, we are a little late."

"Oh, crap!" And suddenly I was being frog-marched down the hallways and steps, out the door, and into the fading sunset, where the beach awaited.

The moon was just a sliver on the horizon as the sun in the west slunk deeper and deeper past the line of sight; tiny points of light had popped from nonexistence into the darkening skies. Just a short distance away on the beach stood around ten figures around a blazing fire in a pit. The sound of laughter and chatter drifted towards us.

"Ah-rex!" Yaya called. The guy in question turned around and smiled, strolling over to us with an easy, carefree grin plastered over his face.

"I'm really glad you guys are here." Alex told us, and I translated. "I'll introduce you to my friends. Hey, guys!" He called.

The six other people looked up in interest, coming over slowly. Alex motioned them forward. "This is Lizzie," A girl straw-straight blonde hair, "Garrett, Lindsay, Claire," A short, stocky red-headed guy with green eyes, a tall girl with black hair and blue eyes, and an Asian girl with bangs and glasses framing black eyes, "My brother Marco," A guy who looked almost exactly like Alex, "And Will." He put his arm around a shorter guy with huge brown eyes, ruffled black hair and chocolate skin. He had a sexy smirk on his face and his defined muscles that were bigger than Alex's. "This guy—"

"Hey." Lizzie stepped forward and shook our hands, a confident, relaxed smile on her face. "Nice to meet you," She said in formal Japanese.

"Ah, Lizzie, you interrupted me," Alex said, aggravated. "Will is—"

"Yeah, sure," She waved dismissively. "Come join our bonfire!"

I translated, and my friends followed. "This is really cool," I told Lizzie. "So this is Nagihiko, Amu, Rima, Utau, Kukai—Yaya, stop moving—Yaya, Kairi, Nagihiko and T—Tadase." I stuttered over Hotori-kun's first name and frowned as I realized for the first time that even though Hotori-kun was my... ex-best friend, I had never called him by his first name, even though I did so with my other friends who I was admittedly not as close to.

"Cool! So, Amu..." The two began a slow, hard-to-understand conversation about the problem of guys and the good and bad sides of their boyfriends.

"So, how do you say your name?" Will asked Nagihiko.

"Nagihiko?"

"Nageeko?"

"Na-gi-hi-ko."

"Nahgeeheekoh."

Garrett eyed Amu. "Tell me, Ikuto... why is your girlfriend's hair pink? Come to think of it, why do you have blue hair?"

"Genetics?" Ikuto shrugged. "Samurai Boy—uh, Kairi, has green hair, and Girly—er, Nagihiko, and Queenie—I mean, Nadeshiko, both have purple hair."

"That's impossible." Garrett gaped. "I have never, ever seen hair that's naturally pink, green, blue or purple. You have to dye it..."

"So what's it like in Japan?" Lindsay asked Utau wistfully. "It must be nice..."

"I dunno, America seems pretty amazing as well," Utau told her.

"Oh, yeah, I mean, sure, but I guess when you've lived in a place all your life, going to a place that's so different from your home is kind of amazing. Claire's always wanted to go to Japan, too!"

Claire looked up from her book. "Hmm? Yeah, okay."

Lindsay sighed. "Girl's got her nose in a book all the time. Always so quiet. Smartest girl in our school, but she always seems alone."

"I can read and listen at the same time, you know."

"Nobody's listening to me!" Alex said in frustration.

"So you're Tadase, right?" Will drawled, throwing an arm around Hotori-kun, who was attempting—and failing—to hide his pink cheeks. "Pretty girly, man. Your hair always so blonde?"

"Um... yes?"

"Huh. Do you straighten it?"

"... I'm sorry, I don't understand..."

"It's kinda... what's the word I'm looking for, we learned it in Foreign Language Club... prince!"

"PRINCE? I AM NOT A PRINCE! I AM KING! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"This guy's hilarious!" Will clutched his stomach, laughing.

"Um... Why don't you and I go for a walk?" Nagihiko said hastily, Amu and Rima joining him. "Coming, Nadeshiko?"

I looked away, crossing my arms against the pain in my chest. "No."

Nagihiko pursed his lips, looking at me with a frown. Then he sighed and led Hotori-kun away ("BWAHAHAHAHAHA!") down the sandy beach and the sussuration of the waves in the night shore.

I can't deny that it hurts. I really do miss him. I wish I didn't because then it wouldn't be so painful, but I do. Of all my friends, he and Nagihiko are the closest. Now, knowing he doesn't trust me, I shouldn't ever look back; I'd close off from him and never, ever let him in again. That's what I've always done, because I learned the hard way how difficult it is to find someone worthy of your trust. But now, every time I try, I just can't.

I looked up as Alex sat next to me. "Hey, Nadeshiko."

"Hey, Alex." I smiled. "Nice night, huh?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful." He looked up. "Hey, I know a nice spot. Wanna come, just the two of us?"

"Sure." He got to his feet and helped me up, and we walked away, unnoticed by the rest.

* * *

_"You feeling okay now?" Nagihiko asked Tadase, who was just coming to._

_He blinked. "What happened?"_

_"Oh, I used a defense move Nadeshiko taught me," Nagihiko said cheerfully. "I knocked you out."_

_"Just as matter-of-fact as his twin," Rima muttered._

_"Oh." Tadase looked down at his feet, his face hardening into lines._

_"...When are you guys going to make up?" Amu asked him softly. "We all can see it's hurting you two..."_

_He shook his head savagely. "She doesn't trust me anymore. I can tell."_

_"Really?" Rima was surprised. "Why do you think so? I mean, it's not like there's any reason for her not to trust you..."_

_A terrible, twisted smile crossed Nagihiko's face. "Maybe."_

_Azumi came rushing over, plowing straight into Nagihiko. "He's asking her!" She said excitedly. "Alex is!"_

_"What? What do you mean? Alex? Asking her what?" Tadase demanded, suddenly alert. "Where... where is she?"_

_"Can't tell you." Azumi giggled. "It's a secret," She sang._

_Tadase looked in the direction she'd flown from and sprinted away, faster than anyone had ever seen him run._

_"Tadase!" Amu cried. "Where are you going?" There was no answer. "C'mon!"_

_The other three followed the desperate blonde, farther and farther along the beach until they were distant, their forgotten charas left behind._

_"Do you really think it'll work?" Miki asked Azumi._

_The little blonde chara nodded. "I know how this plays out."_

_Kusukusu giggled. "I always like to make Rima laugh. I'm glad Nade has that chance again."_

_Temari sighed. "They really do need each other, don't they? After everything they've gone through, Nade especially... She really does need him."_

_"About time, too," Dia commented. "Their radiance was dimming dangerously."_

_"I really hope it'll work, though..."_

_"It has to," Ran said hopefully. "It has to."_

* * *

"So what do you think?" Alex prodded me.

I felt doubtful. "I don't know... I mean, I don't think I'm into that sort of thing."

"It'll be amazing, gorgeous," Alex said confidently, giving me a sly grin and a peck on the cheek.

"Well..." I rubbed my arm. "I'm not really the model type... I mean, I guess it would be kinda cool to try modeling, but... I also want to do other things in my life, you know?"

Alex looked disappointed, but he put on a smile. "It's okay. I was just hoping, you know. But, if you change your mind..." He handed me a thick white card with silvery writing.

"I'll think about it." I took his hand. "But we're still friends?"

"Of course!" He winked. "You get international calls, right?"

"Uh..." I scratched my head. "Maybe?"

"Ah, I don't want to screw up your phone bill," He said regretfully. "But you'll keep in touch, right?"

"Oh, yeah, sure!" I grinned and elbowed him. "So, how's it with Will?"

"Ah, my boyfriend?" Alex blushed. "God, he's got such a dirty mind... I love him and all, but sometimes he annoys the hell out of me..."

"Alex," Will called in a sing-song tone. "Come here, babe!"

Alex flushed even deeper. I giggled. "I know what that means."

"Shut up." He punched me lightly and got to his feet. "I gotta go."

"See ya." I watched him leave and shook my head, smiling.

The bushes rustled, and with a crash, leaves went flying. I shrieked and flew into a backwards flip, landing lightly on my toes in a defensive crouch. Hotori-kun groaned and got to his feet.

"What the—" I stood up straight. "Hotori-kun? What the hell are you doing?"

"F—Fujisaki-san!" He stammered, his face red and ashamed. "I—I—"

My eyes widened. "Were you eavesdropping?!"

He looked agonized. "I—I didn't mean to—I—"

"Ugh! I knew it!" I threw my hands in the air, running my fingers through the loose strands of my hair. "How could you?"

He leapt to his feet, holding his hands out pleadingly. "Fujisaki-san, I'm sorry, I didn't know—"

"Damn right, you didn't," I growled. "He's a modeling scout, and he's gay, dumbass. Will's his boyfriend. His 'interest'," I airquoted, "was because he thought I had the perfect look for a model."

"I know that now," Hotori-kun said miserably. "Fujisaki-san, I'm really sorry, I swear—"

"So?" I threw him a scornful look. "Do I look like I care?"

"No," He admitted, "But please, can you—"

"Forgive you?" I turned away. "Why should I?"

"Can't we try?" He asked softly. "Please?"

"I told you, never!" I heard my voice cracking, and knew exactly what I was about to do.

"Please," begged, and I stopped, lifting my fingers to the sudden hot tears that grew cold and dripped down my cheeks. Stupid, why are you crying, it's not important, I told myself, but they kept falling, blurring my vision and stinging my eyes.

"Can you just trust me on this?' I felt Hotori-kun's hand grip my shoulder. I sniffled and turned, grabbing desperately at the last, shrinking scrap of anger I had, battling the impossibly strong desire to forgive him. To trust him.

"I'm sorry." He truly did look sorry, slight even, with hopelessly sad eyes and a miserable expression.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "I don't know. Maybe?"

There was an intake of breath. "Really?"

"GUYZZZ!" Entirely out of the blue, a wild-eyed Yaya had leapt onto my back. "Hiii! This party is awesome! Ohh, look! I'm gonna climb that tree!"

"Yaya!" Kairi shouted in horror, and sprinted past me. "Get down from there!"

We all turned to see Kairi run over to the palm tree, where Yaya was clinging to the top and giggling, "I can see EVERYTHING! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Did you guys give her sugar?" Ikuto asked suspciously, loping over gracefully.

Rima popped up out of nowhere, Nagihiko and Amu by her side, and shook her head, panting slightly. "I'm fairly sure not. Hey, Nade, Tadase, did you guys make up? ...Tadase, why are you blushing?"

"YAYA, GET DOWN NOW!" Utau stomped over. She shaked the tree ferociously, apparently trying to make her slip and fall down.

"Stop it!" Kairi tried to block Utau from kicking the trunk, and therefore got kicked in the face.

"Ahh! Oh, no, Kairi, I'm sorry—"

"YOU KICKED MY BOYFRIEND IN THE FACE?!" Yaya roared, and leapt out of the tree, plummeting towards the ground. Yaya somersaulted through the air and landed gracefully on her toes with her arms splayed. She winked at us. "UTAU, YOU KICKED MY BOYFRIEND IN THE FACE! PREPARE FOR MY VENGEANCE!" A hot flame aura danced on her shoulders. It would've been very threatening had the flames not been baby pink.

Utau snorted. "Oh, yeah, real terrified. Now come help me wake up Kairi. I think I knocked him unconscious."

"Now, now, Yaya," Ikuto said calmly, as he, Kukai and Nagihiko held an extremely angry and non-threatening Yaya back. "Calm down for a second."

"NOOOOOO!"

I sweat-dropped. "I think it might be time to go to bed."

* * *

_The sun is hot, so hot, heating my skin, but it feels good in the cold, powdery snow. I hunch down, drawing pictures in the clingy white dust, feeling icy numbness in my face, in my hands. I shiver and draw the ratty coat around my shoulders, the one the nice lady gave me. It is full of ragged holes I stick and wriggle my fingers in, but it's warm._

_"Whatcha doin'?" A soft voice behind me._

_I get clumsily to my feet and turn around. There he is, the boy that's been following me around for a week. He isn't a newbie, I know that for sure; his face isn't broken like the others. That face, where their eyes seem dull and empty, that's the one only newbies have, at this orhpanage at least. I'm five and a half, but I've been here for so long that I don't remember when I first came._

_"Nothin'." I shiver a little more, unsure of what to say. I don't want to tell him to go away, 'cause then he might tattle on me, and I don't want to get in trouble for the third time this week. I don't think I'm supposed to be out here, anyways._

_"You look kinda cold," He says cheerfully. "Lady's serving hot choc'late inside, so I got you some." He holds out a styrofoam cup with dark brown liquid and tiny white marshmallows. It feels really good against my hands._

_I eye it warily, then lift it to my mouth with both hands and take a drink. It feels so warm in my throat, and burns a little, but it spreads through me and fills me with delicious heat._

_He giggles. 'You have a mustache."_

_"Hmm?" I wipe at my mouth._

_The boy giggles again and holds out his hand. "I'm Hisashi!"_

_"I'm Nadeshiko," I tell him, and smile._

_"Wanna go inside?" He asks. I nod, and he sprints away. "Can't catch me, can't catch me!"_

_"Yeah huh!" I run after him, feeling laughter bubbling up into my throat and escaping into the frozen air through tiny snowflakes that danced under the white wintry sunlight._

* * *

_"Do I make myself clear?" Lady says sternly. I burst into tears again, nodding, and she opens the door, pointing out. I run from the room blubbering, clutching my stinging bottom and collapse onto my old, squeaky bed, diving under the sheets and crying._

_The thought of Lady frightens me, with her harsh words and her habit of hitting us. A memory of the time she had hit tiny little Kiyoko, who was five while I was seven, and yelled at her, saying cruel words that seemed to have an extra bite to them, and how Kiyoko had cried. How Lady never let any of us comfort her, saying that 'Kiyoko was a sinful girl who needed the evil beaten out of her.'_

_New anger surges inside of me. Who was this meanie to hurt my friends? I want more than anything at that moment to be more than just a helpless little girl who had so little chance of living a good life._

_After a while, I shift around, and jump as I feel a small, round object between my legs. Tossing off my covers, I see a small white egg, with a tiny golden heart and angel wings. It sparkles, and I hold it up. It is fragile, but warm._

_Suddenly it wriggles, and I almost drop it in shock, gasping as a tiny crack appears, then spreads, and suddenly the shell has dissolved into little particles of light, and a tiny, faerie-like thing with braided snow-white hair and wide brown eyes is smiling at me. She is wearing a pure white kimono that sparkles with glittering power._

_"Hi! I'm Azumi, your guardian character!" She twirls and winks at me. "What do you want to be?"_

_I blink, and reach a trembling hand out to her, unsure of whether or not she is real. "Huh?"_

_She giggles. "I'm your would-be self, silly! Who you want to be!"_

_"Who I want to be..." I say slowly, trying to comprehend._

_"Yep!" She nods and smiles. "And that would be self... is anything you want!"_

_Her words pique my interest. "Anything I want?"_

_"Uh huh!" She taps her chin thoughtfully. "Let's see... you could be a veterinarian some day, or a firefighter the next. Whatever suits your mood! You could be the kind of person that makes others happy. You could be..."_

_"Anything I want," I whisper._

_I hear the sound of distant thunder, a strange sign in late fall. The window in my room rattles, and I see that it us beginning to rain._

_I watch as rain patters my windows, softly. A soft, almost clean feeling slips into my chest, and, glancing back nervously in case Lady was around, I dig my fingers into a pane in the window and wiggle it out._

_Immediately a chilled wind slips into the room, and I close my eyes, feeling content as the scent of rain fills my nose and the comforting breath of the wind curls around my ears._

_"You could be powerful," The chibi calls through the numbing wind._

_I open my eyes once more, feeling calm now. A funny pressure is filling my heart, and I look through the gaping window, imagining, almost beckoning more curls of wind to enter my room, singing a soft tune to myself._

_"You could be anything," Azumi says softly._

_A rush of cool air hits my face, rushing around me and swirling in a vortex. I fall back in surprise, and the sensation diminishes._

_A thrill pulses through me, and I try it again, attempting to mimick the same drowsy state, and the breeze circling around my head grows stronger. I lift my hand, stretching it towards the window, and frown in confusion as it diminishes once more._

_"Nade-chan!" I turn in surprise, seeing Hisashi-kun standing at the door, still raising one hand, now aimed at his face. Immediately the remnants of cool that lingered on my skin flies to my outstreteched fingertips. He blinks as his hair flew back and his shirt ruffled._

_"What are you doing?" He asks me curiously, and I try to show him the new trick I had learned. "That's cool!" He says happily,_

_"Nadeshiko! Hisashi! Where are you two?" I hear Lady's sharp voice pierce my ears. The two of us look at each other, eyes wide, and we dive into action. I am replacing the windowpane hurriedly, and he is ushering me into the closet with a hissed, "Hurry, hurry!"_

_He closes the tiny door with a creak, and we huddle there together in the darkness, holding tight to each others' hands, unwilling to let go._

* * *

_We are dancing in the gym to pop songs, surrounded by a school full of monsters, ghouls, cosplayers, a sea of the bizarre._

_I don't care. All I see is Hisashi, who is grinning down at me with that smile I love, where his eyes brighten and his mouth a broad, toothy curve that lights up his whole face. I smile back._

_"You look beautiful," He murmurs, pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear. I bow my head in embarrassment. I do think I look pretty in my costume, a goddess with old sandals and a 'laurel' wreath with leaves that look suspiciously like the leaves on Lady's ash tree in the backyard. But the way that he looks at me makes me feel more beautiful than if I was wearing the loveliest jewels and dress._

_The lights pulse, moving in strange, confusing ways, and for a moment I am lost, dazed by the movement of gold, of red and orange._

_"You ruined everything."_

_I look back at Hisashi. He is no longer smiling, but his look of pain and betrayal is raw._

_"You started it," He says tonelessly._

_"Hisashi?" I whisper._

_"You knew how to stop it. You could've saved us. You could've saved me. But you didn't."_

_"No," I moan. The beat of the music is now a thump, a crash, muffled cries of pain and screaming, begging for help. "Please, no, I didn't have the strength-the time—"_

_He speaks on, unhearing. "You turned your back on us all. We would still be alive."_

_"No, please," I beg. The warm, pulsing lights have blurred with his features in the tears that leak from my eyes. "I tried, I really did, I couldn't—"_

_"You were the last thing I saw," He whispers. "I watched you looking at me. I know you heard me. You could've saved me. You watched me die and did nothing."_

_"I'm sorry," I sob breathlessly, trying to cling to him, but he is slipping through my fingers, backing away so, so slowly, and my feet are glued to the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"_

_"You let us all die," He murmurs, and steps back once more. The golden light envelops his body, and now I am falling, falling and screaming, into the darkness and the scorching heat, and I'm going to die, too—_

* * *

"Fujisaki!" Someone is shaking me, and I cannot open my eyes, I am blind, there is only black. "Fujisaki-san, wake up, please," He begs, and my eyelids fly open as I gasp, air flooding my lungs.

Hotori-kun, who has a tight grip on my shoulders. His face is filled with stress and worry, relaxing a barest fraction when I blink and stare at him, breathing heavily.

Everything is so fresh, so raw in my head. I can't get it out, Hisashi, a burning touch that stings, and I begin to sob, trying desperately to shake out the horrible images, to get away, please, I have to get away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I whimper, burying my face into his neck, stifling my sobs.

"It's going to be all right," He says softly, and I feel him wrap his arms around me in a tight, comforting embrace. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

The gasping cries fleeing from my throat slow, and I am tired, so tired, and suddenly it feels as if his arms are the only thing holding me upright.

"Thank you... Tadase," I hear a tired voice say from a million miles away.

Just as I drift away into peaceful slumber, I hear him mumur, an echo in the windy distance, "Always... Nadeshiko."

The sound of Tadase's voice saying my name carries me away on waves, bringing softer dreams and a world of forgotten happiness.

* * *

_"Are you all right?" A woman asked the little girl gently as she drove, placing a careful hand on the child's shoulder._

_The little girl was curled in a ball, shaking and saying over and over again, "Mommy, mommy, I want mommy..." Her eyes were wild with terror as she rocked back and forth, flinching when the woman touched her._

_The woman watched the child with an expression that conveyed deep, terrible sadness. Then, she placed a hand over the child's forehead. Immediately the girl calmed, her deathly huddle loosening, her face relaxing, her eyes closing; she drifted off slowly into a peaceful slumber._

_The woman flips open her phone and dials a number, waiting a second as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. Then, a male voice._

_"Operative 15. You have another victim?"_

_"Yes. A little girl. Looks about six. Just got there in time. Think she'll be okay. A little close, and I had to erase a little of her memory, but other than that she's fine."_

_"How was it?"_

_"Most everyone still seemed alive. But it's pretty bad down there. Must be at least two times the amount of victims as last time."_

_"Hm. See if you can get some information. But the girl is priority, got it? Get her in here."_

_"Got it. I'll be over in about fifteen minutes."_

_"Good. Easter Corporation awaits your safe return."_

_The line disconnected._

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	32. Kairi Really Hates Rollercoasters!

**Hello, hello, Sylph Dancer here! One more chapter down! So was it surprising that Tadase was wrong and Nadeshiko was right? I hope so, 'cause that's what I intended. Anyways, I hope there's no confusion, the setting is no longer in California, but back in Osaka. Prepare for some trouble, more romance, and all-around demonic fun! (By the way, the amusement park is based on a real one, it is NOT real.)**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Kairi**

It was early afternoon two days after the four-day trip to California. School was starting tomorrow; today was the last day of summer vacation. I whistled as I dawdled on a bench, waiting in a crowded area near the entrance to the amusement park. Though the sun was rising high into the sky, it did not weigh the air with heat, and puffy clouds drifted ever so slowly on the faint breeze. A blessing in the midst of summer. I sat down on a bench, nervously rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. "Calm yourself," Musashi chided me. "It is but another venture out on the town with your significant other."

"It's our first date," I mumbled. "With just the two of us. No Amu and Ikuto, no supervision, just us."

"But you have done this on many occasions before," Musashi crossed his arms. "Why should this be any different?"

It was true. Perhaps it was a trip for the Guardians, or a spontaneous adventure, or even a favor. Nonetheless, we had been upon several 'dates'. Except, "Technically they weren't considered dates, simply because we weren't dating."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Musashi settled on my shoulder. "How could it be any different from usual? You might as well have started dating years ago."

Kairi!" I heard a voice call through the crowd, and turned to see Yaya skipping gaily towards me. H-Hi," She smiled up at me. "You look great!"

Her shining hair fell softly onto her shoulders, held back from her face by large, petal pink bows. She was dressed in a sparkly white blouse with long, white silk ribbons and pink corduroy shorts. The red bow necklace sparkled on her chest.

"You look beautiful," I choked.

She turned pink and giggled. "You do, too! I like your shirt. It's so you. Okay, okay! Let's go!" Yaya said happily. "Aw, this will be so much fun!"

"Wha—okay?!" She took my hand and pulled me over to the ticket booth. "Wait, wait, I already paid for us! I got the tickets!"

"Really?" She clapped her hands. "That's so nice! I promise, I'll pay you back."

I chuckled. "You say that every time I pay for you. I think you owe me around 40,000 yen."

"But this time, I promise!" Yaya told me confidently. "I'm sure I'll be able to pay you back. Now, let's head in! We can ride the rollercoasters, and eat the funnel cake, and win stuff from the booths..."

"I hope you don't mean we're doing all of that at the same time."

"Aw, really? But it would be so much fun to knock down bottles and win toys while riding a loop-de-loop... Fine, we'll do the rollercoasters first. Let's go!"

"How did you get so strong?!" I said in surprise as she dragged me through the gates, handing them our tickets (wait a second, when did I give her those?) and pulling me with an excited giggle into the rush of the park.

Tall rollercoasters that twisted and spun rose high above us, towering over the booths filled with toys and games and prizes of all sorts where people called, "Step right up, try your hand at..." A large food booth in sight was almost hidden by the mob, a line of people waiting to get food or sitting at concrete tables eating. The sound of exhilarated screaming filled the air.

I slowed, digging in my heels and pulling Yaya back to look at a map of the place, placing a finger on the **you are here** arrow. "So, we're in the Plaza right now..."

"Oh!" Yaya bounded next to me and stared avidly at the map, brow furrowed in thought. "Hmm... the Anaconda," She mused. "Sounds like fun to me! Do you wanna try it?"

I inspected the map, then glanced behind me, gulping at the loop-de-loop. "Sure?"

"Really?" She looked up at me with such a hopefully smile that I nodded speechlessly. "If you're sure!"

With that, she took my hand again and pulled me away, giggling as we passed a spinning wheel that looked like a carousel, except with swings hanging down instead of animals on posts. Across the pavement, beneath the terrifyingly tall Anaconda itself, turning left at the spidery Kamarinskaya, up a precarious flight of stairs to the dizzying top of the Anaconda, where we stood in a line that was nowhere near long enough.

I pulled my hand away from Yaya's as discreetly as possible, wiping my sweaty palm on my shirt with a wince of embarrassment. The ground was so far off, the people seemed miniscule as ants. Even some of the other rides were short in comparison. It would have been a beautiful view had it not been for the large green loop-de-loop rising above a huge drop that made my stomach drop. I felt an uneasy feeling below my chest and a strange, empty breathlessness. Yaya, on the other hand, was utterly fearless.

"Oh, this looks so fun!" She gushed, and turned to me, giggling, and I attempted a nod and a smile. Her grin flickered and dropped off her face, replaced by an expression of concern. "Are you okay? You look a little sick... are you feeling well?" Understanding crossed her face. "Ohhh. Hey, we don't have to ride this. We don't have to ride anything if you don't want."

I shook my head fiercely. "I'm going to try this with you."

She gave me a doubtfuly look. "But if you're sick..."

"No, I can do this," I insisted. "I just need to take a deep breath." I inhaled, half trying to convince her I was fine and half trying to do the same for myself.

"I guess, but—"

"Next!" The woman commandeering the ride motioned us forward with a grin, slipping a phone into her pocket, and we stepped forward to take a seat in the car. The fear tightening inside me doubled, and Yaya held my hand tightly, still concerned. After more people had been seated, the lady went from seat to seat, properly securing the restraints. I clutched them tightly, barely listening as she called the guidances and rules out firmly and clearly. "Ready?" With a few excited shouts of approval. she walked over to a booth and pulled a lever.

The car began to move forward, ever so slowly, building anticipation into an ominous pit in my stomach, closer and closer to the edge; then with the sensation of tipping, we dropped, my innards along with it, zooming with wind roaring in our ears as my stomach dragged along with the inertial force. I heard myself yelling, clutching my restraints for dear life as we zoomed upwards into the loop-de-loop. As we hit the top, the car slowed, just a fraction of a second longer as we hung upside-down, and I could've sworn that I almost fell out of my seat, save from certain death by the wobbling safety restraints. I felt Yaya grab my hand, and as we zoomed back down, the fear in my stomach decreased.

Then as we reached the next high, the coaster slowed, and for a moment I thought that had been it, but the car slid backwards, picking up speed and zooming in the same path as before. The loop-de-loop, backwards, another moment suspended upside-down, almost falling out once more and flying back up the first high, coming to a stop at the top.

And with that, the ride was over, mere minutes of absolute terror. The restraints released us, and I got out the ride shakily, feeling sick.

Yaya, utterly unaffected, skipped down the stairs, giggling happily. "That was amazing! Let's go on another!"

I followed after her with a weak smile, trying to control my quivering legs and wondering how on Earth I managed to ride that demonic rollercoaster.

* * *

_The woman strode through the pristine halls with importance, fierce certainty in the way she swayed her black-clad figure. She nodded to others, all dressed like she; slick black, tight, uniform shape, combat boots, weapons belt. Her dark ponytail swayed, bobbing at the back of her head. She reached a glass door and knocked. A gruff 'come in', and she entered._

"_Agent Amakawa," A man in a business suit stood and motioned for her to sit down._

"_Sir. I have my latest report on Victim 5721." The woman sat, crossing her legs. Her expression was cool, calculating. "Momoko Suzuki, the little girl I brought in, has passed all her medical examination tests. No signs of damage, moderate emotional trauma. I gave her Drug 1260 and took her back to her family's residence. When she wakes up, she'll think the ocurrence a nightmare and nothing more."_

"_Good. Now... there are some recent concerns that have been circulating around the area. About you and this monster."_

"_I see." A pause. "You called me in, I suppose, for some matter of higher importance than field work?"_

_The man nodded. "Easter has been pleased with your dedication and skill. However... we have come to understand you have had previous experience with this... creature."_

_The woman smiled grimly. "It's name is The Dream Thief, sir, or the Demon of Hearts. But it is a long story, sir."_

"_I think we have the time to hear it."_

* * *

"I love this funnel cake!" Yaya broke off another chunk of the powdered sugar-covered fried pastry and stuck it in her mouth. "It's delicious!"

We were sitting in an area, a food court with concrete tables underneath a white and purple umbrella, near a tall black coaster with flames running up the sides, screaming people falling down the tower and pained-looking guys stumbling away from the tower as if they had no intentions ever to ride it again. I winced in sympathy and stuck another piece of funnel cake in my mouth.

"Since we're done with the funnel cake, why don't we check out the booths?" I suggested, rising and holding out a hand for her to take.

"Aw, you're such a sweetie-pie!" She laughed and hopped to her feet, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the nearby booths, tossing the empty funnel cake tray in the trashcan without a backwards glance.

Throughout the line of stalls, there were ring tosses, shooting parlors, toy and accessory booths, a wide medley of attractions to see. A mock Western shooting gallery crossed with monsters, a small and neat booth with old soda bottles with thin necks and children tossing rings, a handsome booth with a thin lady with scarlet hair calling out and gesturing to prim jewelry lined up with pristine care, a jolly man with greying hair waving handmade toys.

"Let's see this one!" She led me over to a booth with fake guns manned by adorable giggling children attempting to shoot an impossibly fast alien.

"Ha-ha, I almost got him!" A tiny, black-eyed boy called, waving fat fists at a young woman.

"Good job, Kiyoshi!" She told him in a strained voice, cradling an infant. It appeared she was very stressed, which was strange as both her children, especially the calm baby girl in her arms, were unusually well-behaved.

"Makoto-chan," A sing-song voice behind me. The woman jumped, and I turned to see a dark-haired man with eyes so dark at first glance I couldn't see the whites. He gave her a loving kiss on her cheek. She returned with a forced smile and turned away.

"Isao-chan, can you get me a diaper for Mei? Sorry, but I think I left the bag in the car..."

"Of course." He chuckled and hurried away.

I frowned, unsure of what to make of the strange relationship, but Yaya tugged my hand lightly. "Kairi, we're next."

"Huh?" I blinked, breaking out of my trance, and nodded. "Okay."

"Step right up, step right up! Ah, hello, little lady, would you like to play Alien Zombie Shoot-Off? You can win ah-may-zing prizes like this bunny right here!"

"Great!"

"Okay, okay, my good friends, just take these guns, press this little button on the side here, aim and fire! Got it? Hit all the zombie aliens and don't waste your ammo! Get ready... aim... FIRE!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Yaya was carrying a rather large pink bunny rabbit, half-hidden behind the thick fur. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry that for you?" I asked anxiously, trying to pull it out of her embrace.

"No!" She said stubbornly, clutching it tighter. "I won it, I have to carry it!"

"Well, I suppose, but I can carry it—watch out!"

Yaya tripped over an orange extension cord, and I leapt forward and caught her just before she fell. She looked up at me and blushed. "Th-thanks, Kairi."

"Anytime," I panted, and pulled her in closer for a hug. "That's why you should've given me the bunny, I can carry it and still see," I scolded, kissing her cheek.

"Y-Yeah." She mumbled, and I released her, picking up the bunny.

"Well, hello!" A couple of girls wearing extremely short mini-skirts and lethal high heels giggled and fluttered their mascara-caked eyes at me as they strutted past. I nodded politely, taking Yaya's hand with my free one.

She pulled it out of my grip, and I stared at her, feeling hurt. "What was that for?" I asked.

"Nothing!" She stormed off, and I chased after her.

"Wait a moment!" I protested. "Are you angry at me? Did I possibly do something to hurt your feelings?"

"Why don't you ask those floozies?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"What? Oh!" Realization dawned on me. It was silly of me, but a warm, pleasant feeling filled my chest, and I held in a happy smile. "Yaya, are you jealous?"

"Nuh-uh," She stuck her tongue out at me.

I chuckled and took her hand. "Oh, Yaya, you know I love you." She flushed at my words. "Let's go ride the Ferris Wheel."

"You want to ride something willingly?" She gaped, astonished.

"Come on!" I led her over to the huge wheel, and she harrumphed.

"Are you just trying to pull one of those cheesy moves where the guy kisses the girl on the top of a Ferris Wheel?"

"Of course not!" I laughed gaily. "Did you get that from your Shoujo manga?"

She nodded vigorously, and I pulled her in close. "Why on Earth would I do it at the top of a Ferris Wheel when I could do it wherever and whenever?" I murmured, and kissed her gently.

"Well, well, well! Aren't you a cute couple?"I heard an amused voice behind me say, and pulled away from Yaya with a groan.

"Why do you guys always interrupt special moments between Yaya and I?" I grumbled.

Ikuto grinned and put an arm around Amu. "Because it's funny. And if you wanted privacy, neither of you should've told any of us that this is where you'd be today."

"Any of us?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, Utau and Kukai are both at college, but Rima's probably off somewhere with Nagihiko. Didn't they say they were riding the Hippocampus? No? Well, last I heard Nadeshiko and Tadase were still waiting in line for the Typhoon. That line is never-ending. But anyways, we're off to the Ferris Wheel. You guys coming?"

"I have to go to the bathroom," Yaya said quickly. "Amu, come with me. I call you when I get out, okay, Kairi?" She raced off, Amu in pursuit.

"Uh... all right?"

"So, how's it going between you two?" Ikuto asked cheerfully.

"Um. Fine." I cleared my throat. "What about you and Amu?"

Ikuto's mouth quirked up in a wry smile. "Really great. She's still so much fun to tease, but she's grown up so much. So, have you and Yaya had sex yet?"

"W-What?! N-No! Of c-course not! I—I don't—wh-why are you even—"

"Whoa, just teasing, bro!" Ikuto held up his hands, laughing. "You're young. You should wait till it's right."

"That explains a lot," I muttered, thinking of Utau and Kukai.

"What?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing, nothing. Oh—" My phone had started ringing, and I picked it up hastily. "Yaya? What's up?"

"We don't have much time," Her voice said frantically. "Listen close! I gave Amu the slip, but she'll catch on soon enough," She hissed. "Meet me at that Revolution ride we saw when we first got here as soon as you can. We'll make our escape."

"All right, so you and Amu are by the Cyclone, trying to find Nadeshiko and Tadase?" I asked, understanding what had to be done to be alone with my girlfriend. "We'll meet you there. Love you," I murmured, relishing the words.

I swore I could hear her blushing. "I love you, too, Kairi." Then she hung up.

I turned to Ikuto. "Yaya and Amu are—"

"Yeah, you said that," Ikuto nodded. "Let's go." He loped off with cool grace, completely ignoring the several interested looks from fellow women and men. I followed for a short distance, gradually putting more distance between the feline and I, and raced off at top speed towards the Revolution thrill ride.

I made it a few minutes later, panting, and searched around. There she was, waving me towards her with a hurried glance around her. I reached her, panting. "I'm here. Now—"

"Kairi? Yaya?" I growled in frustration as Tadase and Nadeshiko came up to the two of us in pleasant surprise. "We had no idea you guys were gonna be here," Tadase smiled. "You guys on a date?"

"Um, yes, we are, so—"

Tadase nodded. "Ah, really? Well, then I guess we'll leave you alone..."

"Finally," I muttered.

"...Right after you come ride with us! Just for one ride. Pleeaase?" Nade gave us a sparkly beam.

"Just one ride?" Yaya said tentatively.

"Yup! Hey, why not this one?" She pointed at the Revolution, the spinning thrill ride we had noticed when first entering the amusement park. Upon closer examination, it had realistic fake paintings from Greek to Roman, Roman to Gothic, Gothic to Renaissance.

As I stared up at the towering ride in interest, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Hastily sliding it out and inspecting the display, my eyes widened. "Damn," I muttered.

"What?" Yaya asked anxiously, reaching over and plucking the phone from my grasp.

**Where are you guys? Ikuto & I are trying to find you! Meet us the Ferris Wheel! ~Amu**

"Crap," Yaya glanced up at the nearby Ferris Wheel. "We have to cancel on those plans, Nade! Bye, guys!" She snatched my arm, and together we fled the scene. While sprinting away towards the enterance, my phone began to vibrate once more, and a glance forced me to run at top speed as fast as I could, Yaya in the lead, from the area.

**Hey, we see you! Tell us where you're going & we'll meet you there! ~Amu**

"The subway's about a half mile from here," I panted to my girlfriend. "Think we can make the 2 o'clock train back?"

"Let's head to the shopping district to confuse them, and then make our way to my house!" We nodded in agreement, and the next moment we were out the gates, into the afternoon heat. It felt as if for a moment, it was just the two of us against the world, escaping to a place where we could finally be together. _Alone._

* * *

"_It is unknown the exact date this demon appeared," The woman began. "All that is known is that like so many of its kind, it was born out of Fear, of broken dreams and lost hopes, a manifestation of these that has taken a form. It is an immortal creature of unimaginable speed and agility, paired with the ability of flight with ashen grey wings. Its own acidic, tarry blood is able to melt through even the hardest metals. _

"_If you become its victim, it will steal your dreams, your hope. After, you become a Possessed, a mindless slave of the demon that does its every bidding. When it has no more use for you, you will die in its embrace as it drive you to insanity, forcing your mind to replay your darkest fears over and over again while it eats your soul. In simplest terms, it consumes X Eggs, possesses you, drives you mad, and steals your soul._

"_At full power it is in true form, a twisted version of human and beast. There are few who have been given the power to harm The Dream Thief. However, upon sustaining injury, it shape-shifts into a different form. Perhaps a cat or a crow, the demon is vulnerable to mortal wounds, and must leave this dimension in order to heal lest it be in agony for the rest of its existence. But it will always return, hungry for souls, for Fear._

"_The Seiyo Academy Guardians did form originally to protect its school and seek the Embryo. However, when I was the Joker so many years ago, we had another purpose as well. Although it was not clear how the demon was summoned into this world, it was clear it was meant to destroy. The demon appeared and began attacking not only the students, but Osaka, we had no choice but to use our powers to stop it. _

"_We discovered that the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key are more than simply objects of power, they are a defense system in face of a threat to the Heart's at full power, Lock and Key combined, the two bearers are given the power to stop this demon. So we defeated it, and it disappeared; we thought it would never come back. Twenty years later, it has returned for vengeance on the bearers of the Lock and Key."_

"_So the boy and the girl, they are destined to stop it?" The man scratched his chin, frowning._

"_Yes. But it is a suicide attempt. For whatever reason, the monster has grown much more powerful than before. As a witness to this creature's amount of power, the two combined would both have to die, give up all their pure energy in order to stop it."_

"_So... the two must die?" She nodded. "This is troubling news. The death of children is an evil thought. Is there another way?"_

"_Not that I am aware of."_

"_You could find another way."_

"_You want me to be a spy," The woman said calmly._

_The man nodded. "We want you to find out everything you can about stopping this... thing. Another way, if you will. If, of course, you're willing to accept."_

_Akira gave a cool smile. "Of course, sir. It would be an honor."_

"_Good. Also," The man fixed her with a pointed stare, "I want you to keep an eye on the present bearers of the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key. Keep them alive... until the time is right for them to die."_

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	33. The Twins Screw With Everyone's Heads!

**Hello, hello! It's Sylph Dancer here! This chapter is dedicated to my fellow user Wisteria Blossom! Many great thanks for your idea; it gave me many ideas for chapters off of it.**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Rima**

_The sun's radiance fell down to the earth, heat across the empty streets and through Osaka in shimmering waves and cruel, blazing ripple of heat. At the height of noon at Fujisaki Manor, windows had been thrown open, cicadas were chirping in the cool, leafy shadows, and the Fujisaki twins were sitting in a dimly lit room, splayed in front of a number of textbooks and papers scattered across the tatami-mat floor. __The last homework assignments before school the next day were dwindling._

_Nadeshiko Fujisaki stared at Sine/Cosine/Tangent review, biting her lip and twirling a strand of violet hair around her finger. "So x would be thirteen... leg 1 would be 21."_

"_Good." Nagihiko peered over her shoulder. "Problem 2a, 2b, and 2c..." He winced in sympathy; he'd always disliked problems with multiple steps."Well, so first—"_

"_42, 6, and 12, right?"_

"_...Ah..." Nagihiko scratched his head and pulled the paper towards him, grasping his pencil and solving the problem in his own neat script. "Yes, it is. How did you...?"_

_Nadeshiko bowed her head. "I was in AP Math when I was a first-year. Actually, if I hadn't missed a year, I'd be in College Calc by now."_

"_So that's why you're studying different math areas at the same time!" Nagihiko's eyes widened in realization. "I wondered why you were studying Geometry, Algebra II and Trigonometry at the same time!"_

_Nadeshiko nodded. "I'm almost done with them, too. I just have to finish this semester, and I'll move on to Calculus, College Algebra and College Trig. And then, of course, take College Calc when I'm actually in college."_

"_So, we're switched," Nagihiko grinned. "Your talent is Mathematics, while mine is Language Arts."_

"_Oh, I don't know," Nadeshiko observed. "We're both pretty good artists, and we're both fairly athletic. Then again, you're a better cooker."_

"_I cannot deny that, Miss Burned-Cup-O-Noodles-to-the-Styrofoam-Cup." He chuckled, and Nadeshiko blushed._

_Suddenly her eyes glinted, and she smiled wickedly. "You know, Tadase told me a long time ago that we looked freakishly close, even for twins."_

"_Oh, he did?" He raised an eyebrow, sending her a devilish smirk. "Do you, perhaps, suggest another prank?"_

_As it was, the two were rather skilled at pranks, noting their shared natural stealth, agility, cunning and mischievous personalities. They were responsible for several incidents that had occurred in the previous semester, including Miss Saaya Yamabuki's thong glued to the top of a flagpole and a chocolate explosion in Home Economics._

"_Wouldn't it be so... confusing if we switched places?"_

"_That would be very confusing. And how, might I ask, would we pull off such a devious task?"_

"_Well, of course, we would dress like one another, and make sure we are quite, quite convincing..."_

"_...with a little planning, we could fool many people for quite some time, don't you think?"_

"_Sometimes these two..." Temari muttered. Rhythm nodded vigorously._

_There was a soft knock, and the twins turned to see Auntie bowing at the door. "A Mr. Tadase Hotori to see Miss Nadeshiko Fujisaki."_

_Azumi whispered something in Nadeshiko's ear, and the violet-haired teen blushed furiously and stuffed her character in her pocket. The two stood, Nagihiko frowning in suspicion. The teenage blonde entered and bowed, his gaze immediately moving to Nadeshiko before he smiled at the both of them._

"_BOW TO THE KING!" Kiseki roared, and both Azumi and Temari rushed the annoying chara, leaving the miniature wannabe king tied up in his own robe._

"_Hello," He said politely, brushing the hair out of his eyes in an extremely feminine gesture. "I was hoping you both would be here."_

"_So, what's up, smooth guy?" Nadeshiko asked, grinning at him and pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear._

_He met her eyes. "I thought maybe it would be a good idea to talk more about... that night."_

"_You guys didn't—" Nagihiko said incredulously._

_Their faces flushed a bright red. "NO!" _

"_No, I..." Nadeshiko cleared her throat. "A... a nightmare the last day in California. I told him."_

"_Ah." Nagihiko raised an eyebrow and turned to his blonde friend. "So you know now. I suppose someone would have found out one way or another."_

"_I didn't know it was possible," Tadase admitted. "That's why I came here. I just, um..."_

"_Wanted to make sure my falling into your arms sobbing and confessing the ability to control the elements was not a hallucination?" Nadeshiko asked calmly. Tadase nodded._

_She didn't even blink, a tiny twitch of the hand. Immediately wind roared in his ears, swirling in a strong vortex and pushing at the fair-haired teen, who toppled backwards in surprise. As soon as it had begun, it had already ended, though the neat papers and books were untouched, and the furniture still in place. It was as if it never happened in the first place._

"_...Oh." Tadase struggled to his feet, taking Nade's hand._

"_Yeah."_

"_And then... there's the other matter." Tadase kept hold of Nadeshiko's hand, gripping it a little tighter and watching her with a worried expression. "About..."_

_Nadeshiko looked away, and Nagihiko put his arm around her shoulder. "Yes. You can be sure of that.__" He said sternly, and Tadase looked at the ground, then up at his best friend._

"_I'm sorry," He said softly, and Nadeshiko wiped unconsciously at her cheeks, which were a little wet. She smiled weakly._

"_It's not your fault."_

"_I'm glad you know, though," Nagihiko told Tadase, his hard expression softening. "You guys are pretty close. She should have more than just one person to depend on. Nadeshiko, we're both here for you, okay?" _

_She nodded and Nagihiko kissed her forehead, Tadase giving her a hug that lasted a little too long and left them both a little pink. Nagihiko rolled his eyes at the two, sighing inwardly at their obliviousness._

_At the same time, each of their phones began ringing, and they pulled them out to receive the same message:_

_**Wanna come along with us to bother Yaya and Kairi on their date?**_

"_I guess we have a date to crash," Nadeshiko observed._

"_Can someone get me out of this thing?!" Kiseki wailed, still trapped in his cape burrito and wriggling madly. His bearer rescued him, chuckling softly, and the character grumbled in embarrassment, settling on his shoulder._

* * *

It was the second period, close to its end, followed by third period Gym. I watched the clock avidly, paying little attention to the droning of the Geometry sensei and wondering if the clock had stopped just to bug the hell out of me. Kusukusu was attempting to keep a handstand that beat her record of half an hour, and her tiny face was bright pink. My notebook lay untouched on the desk except for a few doodles, a scrap of paper or two from Nadeshiko, who sat in the back row of desks two seats away.

Don't think I'm inattentive or irresponsible or something. I'm actually usually the opposite of what I portray in Geometry. It's just that the stupid sensei had no idea what he was talking about half the time (I could prove it, too, just raise your hand and ask a question, he'll get all flustered) and who spends way too much time talking about his personal life. Basically we either go to the other math teachers or we pick it up from friends who know way more than the teachers. Like Nadeshiko, for instance.

She was scribbling down notes calmly as Azumi floated around her head quietly, the same expression her brother always wore. I knew, of course, that she wasn't actually taking notes from the teacher, but copying from the Geometry book she always slipped out of the dusty cupboard, and then she was mostly taking notes for me.

It was interesting, I reflected. Today had been the first day back at school after summer vacation, and already it seemed as if Seiyo Academy was back on track, prepared, organized and raring to go. According to Amu, Kairi, Nagihiko and Tadase, there was a student Council meeting later today to plan some big masquerade ball; Yaya had told me pre-season for Cross Country had begun; and Mathletes, several athletic teams, Art and Drama Club were already trying to recruit Nadeshiko. Not to mention the stress to go to a good university, dealing with jobs, all paired up with academic obligations...

"Rima, the bell rang," Nadeshiko said patiently, smiling at me. I blinked and looked up, immediately seeing an empty classroom.

"Oh. Right. So, Nadeshiko," I said, frowning, "is something... are you all right?"

She blinked innocently, which ironically did not give any sense of innocence what soever. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno..." I trailed off. "It's just, I feel like there's... something different. Maybe something extra, or something different."

"I slept peacefully," Nadeshiko said, almost as if without thinking.

"That's probably it. You're more awake today." I nodded.

"Hey, guys!" Amu came up behind us, smiling brightly.

"Hello, Nadeshiko," Dia smiled knowingly at the teen, who didn't notice.

Amu rubbed her eyes. "Have I ever mentioned how hard English is? Gosh, it's so difficult! You know, someone told me that there are only, like, two languages in the world that are anywhere near as tough as this one."

"Really?" Nadeshiko looked surprised. "That's interesting."

"English is complicated, ~desu," Su twirled. "I like cooking better!"

"Yeah, they're like Vietnamese and some language that uses whistling and clicks, I think. English is supposedly the hardest, because it has so many rules, not counting all the exceptions to every rule. So I guess that gives us all the more reason to envy you, Nade."

"Art defies all cultural boundaries," Miki said importantly.

"So do smiles!" Kusukusu nodded.

"Hmm?" She looked at us absently, frowning slightly. "Sorry, guys, I gotta go."

"Really? Where?" I asked curiously.

"Bye!" She called, already hurrying away.

"Where are you going?" Amu shouted after her, but she didn't answer, and she shrugged. "Huh. Well, let's wait for her in the locker room. Maybe she'll turn up?"

"Eh. Even if she doesn't, I'm sure we could come up with a good excuse for her." I said thoughtfully. "What do you think about she got called to the principal's office?"

"Nah, she's too good for that, plus the stupid gym teacher would just call the office and figure out she's not there. What about, her Geometry sensei held her back to talk to her?"

"Well, she's a math genius, so it wouldn't make sense for her to be held back to talk to the sensei, and she'd be talking to the guidance counselor about advanced courses..."

"Feminine hygiene problems," We said at the same time, looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Well, it would work for a time, but she might get mad at us," Amu giggled.

I waved that off. "She'll thank us for it someday. But it'll only work for a little while, maybe five minutes, tops. We'd have to add another to give her more time, like she bled through and needs new clothes, so she's calling her mom."

"Oh! She's got horrible cramps and is lying down in the nurse's office. But we have to pretend to go check on her."

The two of us continued our conversation on Nadeshiko's feigned period, working out the details.

* * *

"_Shoot, shoot, shoot," Nadeshiko muttered, glancing at the text she had received from Nagihiko just a couple of seconds ago, alerting her to the problem of PE I. Neither of them had calculated the variable of friends, external variables, or lack of privacy. Sure, they had come up with a plan for this the day before, upon planning their trick, but Nagihiko had not expected o be held up a few minutes by Rima's dozing, nor Nadeshiko by an inquisitive Calculus teacher questioning why 'he' had been so quiet and off today, nor had they expected an accident in the hallways that slowed everything down. They had under six minutes to find a quiet place to dress out._

_For the twins, (Nagihiko, dressed in Nadeshiko's uniform and vice versa for Nadeshiko) it had gone spectacularly well so far. Not a single person, even their own mother (who was admittedly distracted by an upcoming preformance) had noticed their switch. A period of two free hours had been more than enough to instruct each other how to become each other, and by the end both were quite convincing._

_There was, of course, a bit of notice, particularly from Rima, but other than that everything had gone smoothly. Now it was just a matter of lasting through the day._

_Nadeshiko walked fluidly through the hall with the cool, calm grace of her twin, nodding with a Nagihiko-worthy genteel smile at a young girl who blushed furiously as she passed. The hallway, usually secluded until after lunch, had a fairly unused bathroom just around the corner. Turning back to her task and rounding the turn, she ran smack into another person. With a soft _'chu'_, she accidentally kissed the person less than an inch from his mouth, and leapt back in a much too girlish fashion, cheeks tinged pink as she covered her mouth._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry," She said, barely slipping into her slightly more masculine 'Nagihiko' voice._

"_Whoops! Oh—Nadeshiko?!" Tadase flushed and stepped away hurriedly, realizing he was standing way to close to his best friend._

"_Nagihiko," Nadeshiko corrected hastily. "Sorry, Tadase!"_

_He smiled, a strangely mischievous glint to his eye. "No, you're Nadeshiko."_

"_No, I'm not," Nade insisted. "I'm—don't look at me like that! How did you know?"_

"_Because I know you too well." He smiled wider. "It's your eyes. Their expression, it's sadder, more painful. Lonelier." His tone softened, curving lips a bit sad, and Nadeshiko looked down, knowing what he meant._

"_Don't tell anyone, okay?" She looked back at him. "Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

* * *

"God, sometimes you remind me so much of your brother," I told Nadeshiko, scrunching up my face as I tried to cut the thick pie crust mixture.

"Here, let me," Nadeshiko said gently, stepping behind me and gripping my hands firmly, easily mixing the thick dough. "It's a little tough to work with dough."

I hunched down, feeling silly as heat tinged my cheeks. Nadeshiko was a girl, and I didn't think of her like that, but she was just so much like her brother that _sometimes..._

"Something wrong, Rima?" She asked innocently, giving me a kind smile.

I shrugged, plucked Kusukusu out of the dough ("Hey, wait! I was making dough angels!") and began pounding on the dough, flattening it out and using a cookie cutter to cut it into pieces, pressing different chunks into the muffin tins. Amu, Nadeshiko and I were together in a group, trying to make a creative dessert for our test. The idea of apple pie-bites had been Amu's idea, but as she was in a Student Council meeting at the moment, the two of us were trying to make them without her Which was difficult, seeing as neither Nadeshiko or I were competent bakers.

This revelation tugged at me, and I frowned, turning to Nade. "You really on the ball or something today? 'Cause usually you're a horrible cook."

Nadeshiko looked a little flustered, and began toying with her hair ribbon like she always did when she was hiding something. "Oh, well, um... Nagihiko's been helping me," She confessed.

"Oh. That makes sense." I nodded. "Anyways, what do we do now?"

"We add the filling, and then another layer of pie crust," Nadeshiko looked over Amu's detailed recipe and sighed in relief. "Seems easy enough."

"Hmm. What if we add cinnamon powder to the filling?" I asked her.

"Sounds good to me." We mixed the gooey filling together, adding the sienna dust in both the second batch of dough and the goo filling and slopping it into the dough cups molded into the muffin tray, squashing on another pie crust layer, making sure Kusukusu and Azumi were not inside the uncooked pastries and shoving it into the oven.

"And we wait." Nadeshiko leaned back on the counter and sighed. "I swear, this whole cooking business is tough."

"Hear, hear," I nodded vigorously. "How Amu manages to do it, even with Su, I have no idea. So, where were you after second period? You came in kind of late. Amu and I had to make up a story about you on your period."

"Oh." For some reason, her cheeks flooded with red. I grinned and nudged her with my arm. "You off doing dirty things with Tadase or something?"

"What? No!" She shook her head vehemently, and I giggled.

"Don't even try to hide it anymore, Nade. I saw the way you two acted at the amusement park yesterday. The way you looked at him practically screamed 'I'm in love!' to the world."

"Really?" For a moment, she seemed so Nagihiko-like, the way she lifted one of her eyebrows and pursed her lips, as if deep in thought. "I didn't even realize."

"But, so you do like him, right?"

I never got to hear her answer, because at that moment, the timer went _ding_ and Amu entered, handing a slip to the sensei and sidling up beside us. "Hey, guys," She said cheerfully. "What's up? Ooh, those look delicious!"

Nadeshiko pulled an oven mitt-ed hand carrying a steaming muffin tray with little bite-sized pies with a reddish tint that smelled so deliciously sweet it was almost criminal. The three of us divided the sixteen, five for each with one to spare for the sensei, who nodded in approval, taking a bite and scribbling something on his clipboard.

"Hey, guys. What are those?" Tadase approached the three of us, peering over Nade's shoulder at the apple-cinnamon treats. "That's really creative," He complimented us with a sparkly smile, sending the rest of the girls into a swoon and a pink blush to form over one or two guys that turned away hurriedly.

"Would you like one?" Nadeshiko asked politely, offering him one of her own.

"GIVE ONE TO THE KING!" Kiseki roared, which caused every guardian character (except Miki, who murmured, "Sugoi...") to throw tiny dough snowballs at him.

"Really? Thanks, Nadeshiko!" She handed him one, and their fingers brushed, causing the faintest pink tint to appear on his cheeks (although strangely not hers, for some reason) and bite hurriedly into the pastry. "This is delicious!"

"It really is," Amu agreed through a mouthful of cinnamon apple and pie crust. "You guys did good!"

"No need to sound so surprised," I mumbled.

* * *

"Ah, gosh," Amu put her hands behind her hand, yawning. "That was such a long day, and it was only the first... Plus I've got endless homework..."

"You can get it all done, Amu!" Ran cheered.

"That's because you spent two hours running around for errands for Student Council," I told her. "And now you have homework from the classes you missed. What's all this about a masquerade ball?"

Amu clapped her hands in excitement. "Well, you know how the school had a Halloween dance last year, and it totally bombed because we've had one for the past five years? We found a loophole, and now we're doing a whole masquerade ball. Seiyo Academy exclusive, no outsiders, formal. Like all the dances, you have to bring your school ID, and then we're going to give you guys masks. Then at the end of the dance, you grab a partner and unmask them, so that everyones' true identities are revealed. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah. What do you think, Nade? Nade?" I turned, but our purple-haired friend was nowhere to be seen. "Huh. She was there just a second ago."

* * *

_The twins stepped out of the bathroom, Nagihiko sighing in content as he moved in his black uniform. "Feels good back in my normal clothes. I don't know if I want to do that again."_

"_I don't think it would work, anyways," Nadeshiko confessed as they walked together, simultaneously and unconsciously quickening their pace to catch up to Amu and Rima. "Tadase found us out."_

"_Oh, yeah..." Nagihiko turned to her. "There's something about that I wanted to talk to you about. Do you... have feelings for him? Because in Home Ec today... well, Rima said that the way you looked at him was..."_

_Nadeshiko stopped suddenly. She looked at Nagihiko with a surprised expression mixed with worry. "Tadase? Do I like him?" Nagihiko nodded, and she looked down at her toes. "I don't know," She mumbled. "I mean, he's my friend, you know? At first he was like a brother to me. He knew me almost as well as you do. But now..." She looked off into the distance. "After California, I guess I just realized how much I really cared about him."_

"_I see." Nagi smiled at his sister. "Well, I admit I don't like the thought of you in a relationship, but I'm glad it's with Tadase."_

"_He and I aren't in a relationship," Nadeshiko argued. "We're just friends. I'm sure I'll figure this out. Hey, where's my phone?" She smacked her forehead. "Stupid, stupid! I left it on the toilet dispenser in the stall! Can you wait for a sec?" Nagi nodded, and Nade raced back, muttering a mix of both Japanese and English curses._

_Nagihiko glanced to his right and sat down calmly on the bench, stuffing his dying phone into his pocket and leaning back on the bench._

_Temari and Rhythm started, looking around in shock and nervousness. "Nagihiko..." Rhythm said worriedly._

"_What is it?" Nagihiko asked casually, unaware of the impending danger._

"_Something I don't like..." Temari muttered. "Nagihiko, I think we should find Nadeshiko and leave."_

_He looked at her in curiosity. "Why, what's wrong?"_

"_It's... the same aura we got when the demon was here," Rhythm said, glancing behind him. "Except way stronger. Like, dangerously strong and really close."_

"_Seriously?" Nagihiko stared at his two characters, worry and confusion flickering across his face. "You're... you're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding."_

"_I can't," Temari said, looking frightened, which scared Nagihiko even more. Temari did not get frightened. "We're all in danger."_

_And that was the moment that, in full light of the late afternoon sun, that a half-human laugh, half feral snarl emitted from somewhere far off behind the benches._

_Nagihiko yelled in surprise and terror, falling and scrambling backwards in a terrifying parallel to the girl who had nearly fallen victim to the very monster that crawled towards the purple-haired teenage boy._

_It was a twisted, writhing form, a human figure, morphed sickeningly with long, bony limbs and spidery fingers, a skull with whites for eyes and a permanent, terrible smile stretched across its face, revealing long, sharp teeth. Though still, its slimy, inky black blood bubbled up, sizzling in long cuts down its forearms and dripping from the corners of its foul mouth. The stench of death and decay nearly caused Nagihiko to gag._

_It said nothing, but extended one long, writhing hand towards Nagihiko, who gasped and stumbled back further, but it was too late. The skin, the horrible, slimy skin stretched, and the fingers reached forward and grabbed his face._

"_Nagihiko!" Rhythm and Temari yelled, trying to pry the horrid, twitching fingers off his face. They were sobbing, both in terror and pain as Nagihiko's beautiful amber eyes went dull._

_Then it was over, and Rhythm and Temari dropped like flies to the ground. Yet inside his chest, Nagihiko's heart still beat strongly, air still moved in and out of his lungs. And as the demon disappeared with a nasty widened grin, Nagihiko stood, appearing untouched, eyes sparkling with their usual kind mirth. Yet as he rose, so did Temari and Rhythm. Tiny, almost entirely unnoticeable X's had appeared on Rhythm's headphones and Temari's kimono._

"_Hey," Nadeshiko came back, holding up her phone and grinning. "Right where I left it."_

"_Good." Nagihiko smiled, and as the two turned to walk, Nagihiko's eyes flickered black once, then they were golden once more._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	34. Azumi is Obsessed with Food!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, or Nike!**

* * *

**Ikuto**

"It's very nice to meet you," I said with formal politeness to Mr. and Mrs. Fujisaki, both of whom smiled graciously at me, standing next to their children.

"And you as well, Tsukiyomi-san. Hello, Amu-chan. I'm glad you both could make it to Nagihiko and Nadeshiko's birthday."

It was July 4th , and the six of us stood in the foyer of Fujisaki manor, making polite conversation as a footman took our coats and our gifts for Nagihiko. A few days earlier, the two violet-haired twins had passed out invitations to their birthday party, a formal get-together their parents had planned to celebrate becoming seventeen, inviting most of their family as well as Amu's friends and I. To no surprise, Girly Boy and Little Queen both seemed a bit embarrassed. I couldn't really blame them; noting the rather excessive amount of family members and the fact that last year Amu and her friends had all dragged him to karaoke, it was kind of obvious that the main reason for this party was to introduce Little Queen to the rest of the family. Nadeshiko was watching her brother with a furrrowed brow; I could see the gears turning in her head.

"Why don't we go in?" The twins' father motioned into the next room, breaking me out of my reverie and leading Amu and I into the large room, filled with well-dressed, high society people scattered here and there in polite conversation. I nodded to certain people here and there, having met them a few years back from my time at Easter.

"This is so weird," Amu whispered to me, toying nervously with her flowy, draping black dress. "I barely know anyone. Why do I feel like an ant among giants?"

"Don't worry, Amu-koi," I murmured in her ear, grinning at her sudden flush, "I'll hold your hand."

"Shut up, you stupid pervert," She mumbled, but took my hand anyways.

"You're really bad at scolding Ikuto, Amu," Dia commented.

"Hey, guys." Shrimp came up to us, looking extremely nervous, eyes darting here and there. The long-haired blonde could have passed for a party crasher by the frantic way she was acting. "What's up?"

"Nothing, really. You look really pretty."

Rima looked down at her mint green floral dress, just hiding her knees, and smiled weakly. "Thanks, you too. It took me forever to get my hair up like this." She touched a hand to her bun, which looked like the hair was about to come flying out (she did have a lot of hair.)

"Vintage," Miki looked her up and down, nodding in approval. "Nice."

"Nagihiko will like it a lot," I smiled innocently as she shot me her death glare. "What?"

"Shut up, Tsukiyomi."

"So, what'd you get for Nagi and Nade?" Amu asked brightly, attempting to elbow me and missing. "Ikuto and I got Nagi those **Nikes** he's been wanting forever but his mom would get him, and we got Nade some American CD."

Shrimp went pale. "I... I got Nade a CD too, but a different one... and, um..."

"Rima didn't get Nagi anything," Kusukusu said helpfully. "She was too nervous and was terrified that everything she looked at wasn't something he'd love."

"Kusukusu!" Rima gasped. "Shut up!"

"Déjà vu," Ran mumbled.

"Really?" Amu was surprised. "Huh."

"You can give him a nice, big kiss," I told her brightly, and she shot me her death look again, except it was much more malevolent.

"It's not funny. What do I do?!"

"Hiya, guys!" Sugar High flounced up to the three of us, the frills on her pale yellow and white dress bouncing. "What's up?"

"Pepe is hungry, Pepe wants food, ~dechu."

"I'm getting punch," Rima said, still pale and nervous. "Let's go, guys." She snatched Yaya and Amu's arms and pulled them away. "Stay," She commanded me.

I chuckled and followed them anyways, and ran right into Tadase, whose eyes were roving the room. "Hello, Onii-san."

"Vagrant. What are you doing here?" Kiseki said imperiously, so I flicked him in the forehead like I used to do to Yoru. Ah, Yoru...

"'Sup, Little King? You looking for your queen?"

"Nadeshiko is not my queen!" Tadase blushed.

"I didn't say Nadeshiko. But I guess that's who you were thinking of?"

"Ahhh!" He buried his face in his hands. "Stop it!"

"Sorry, Little King." I ruffled his hair. "Forgot you haven't realized your barely controlled passionate feelings for Nadeshiko." He was silent, peeking up at me between his fingers, and I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Aha! So you have realized your barely controlled—"

"I don't know if I like her like that," Little King mumbled. "I just know I have feelings for her."

"Well, at least you've gotten a little further," I rolled my eyes. "You do realize that you probably had feelings for her before you even noticed it yourself?"

Little King hunched over in embarrassment. "Yes..."

"And you do realize that she probably feels the sa—"

"FOOOOOOD!" Azumi flew right in front of my nose, zooming towards the refreshment table.

I blinked. "What the—"

Little Queen flew past us, an exasperated look on her face. "I swear she has the attention span of a gnat," I heard her mutter to herself.

"Nadeshiko!" Little King hurried after his Queen with a considerably brightened look on his face, if he was a little pink. (Then again, so was Nadeshiko the second she heard him call out her name.)

"Hello, Tsukiyomi." I turned to see Samurai Boy nod at me. "Have you see Yaya?"

"Silly child, always wanders off," Musashi grumbled. Kairi ignored him (and Pepe threatened to punch him in the face.)

"Shrimp dragged Sugar High off with my girlfriend to drink lots of punch," I told him cheerfully, motioning behind me.

He blinked. "...Thank you?"

"Kairi!" Yaya was suddenly by his side, smiling up at him. "I've been looking all over for you. They're getting ready to introduce Nadeshiko. You, too, Kitty Boy, Amu's looking everywhere for you."

"Thanks, Sugar." I ruffled her hair, and she protested, trying to fix her messy curls.

There was a squeal from a microphone, and Sugar High hissed, "Come on, guys!" And promptly pulled Kairi away. I shrugged and followed the two, where Amu, Shrimp and Little King stood waiting.

"Afternoon, folks," Mrs. Fujisaki called, smiling graciously. "It is my pleasure to welcome you to Nagihiko and Nadeshiko Fujisaki's Seventeenth Birthday Reception. Nagihiko, Nadeshiko, can you two come up here, please?" She called out, every way the proud mother of two (embarrassed) individuals.

Girly-Boy took it all well, calmly crossing the floor, gripping tight to an obviously terrified Nadeshiko that kept glancing around at the crowd of people she had never met and was apparently related to.

"Thank you, Mother," Nagihiko said with a pleasant smile. "And thank you all for coming. I'm very glad you all were willing to celebrate my sister's and my birthday." He offered the microphone to Nadeshiko, who looked at him with eyes that said 'what kind of an idiot do you take me for?

He gave her a hopeful look that seemed threateningly close to a sparkle-attack, and she shot him a matching glittery look, then sighed and took the mic. "H—Hello. M—My name is Nadeshiko..." She cleared her throat and laughed self-consciously. "Although, I, uh, suppose you already knew that." The group chuckled, sending her easy, friendly expressions. "S—So, I, um, it's nice to meet you, and I'd like to get to all of you better." She trailed off and shoved the mic back into her mother's hand, who took her hand with a smile.

"My daughter's a little shy." Little Queen shot her chuckling mom a dirty look and huffed. "And now for the cake!"

"FOOOOOOOD!" I heard Azumi yell, and while Girly-Boy was barely holding in a laugh and Little Queen was barely holding in the urge to smack herself on the forehead, Azumi had dive-bombed into the cake seconds before the small crowd of family had come eagerly over to the large square white cake in flourishng navy manuscript that said 'Happy Birthday to Nagihiko and Nadeshiko!' with seventeen candles neatly placed and currently being lit around the decorative lettering.

"You guys can blow out the candles," Mr. Fujisaki smiled.

Nagihiko, with a firm grip on his flighty twin's hand, came forward with a smile. They exchanged a look, and the two paused for a moment, facing the cake, and blew every single candle out at exactly the same time. There were claps and flashes from cameras, a frosting-covered Azumi, and with that their father took the cake knife from the butler and cut it himself, revealing marble.

"So, what'd you wish for?" Amu asked the twins, who had managed to sneak back to us.

Nadeshiko's cheeks were pink and Nagihiko was smirking, but the two answered with rather an excess of mystery, "It's a secret."

* * *

_Rima tapped her foot nervously, crossing her arms as the twins opened their presents, Nagihiko holding up a basketball with a pleased look and Nadeshiko smiling down at a CD. "This is bad, this is so bad," She muttered, checking and rechecking her pockets for something, anything. She couldn't possibly, couldn't really have nothing for Nagihiko, there had to be something..._

_"And that's the last of them! Thank you all for the wonderful gifts!" Nagihiko called brightly, smiling as his eyes moved across the people. For a moment, he met eyes with Rima, and grinned._

_As the crowd of family and friends began to disperse, Rima began looking for a means of escape in which she could leave politely and quietly, like a family emergency or something, inching her way with shifty eyes towards the door. A glance backwards made her nearly shriek with despair, seeing Nagihiko coming her way with a suspiciously innocent, cheerful beam across his face. She cursed under her breath and quickened her pace, looking for escape and finding it in the form of an empty balcony at one wall, curtains drawn back to let in the gorgeous view of the huge garden and hedge maze. Quiet as a mouse, Rima slipped through, making her way to the doors, and sighed in relief._

_"Hello, Rima."_

_Rima jumped nearly a foot in the air. "AHHH!" She whirled around. "Don't do that!"_

_"Sorry," Nagihiko said, not sounding even remotely remorseful. "I just wanted to say hi. Also, where's my present?"_

_Rima felt her cheeks heat to a degree Celsius that she wasn't even aware was possible without her frying to a crisp. "I, uh, um, I well, you see now, the truth is, I—" She didn't even pause to consider that Nagihiko's considerable impoliteness was very strange._

_"You didn't get me a present?" Nagihiko pretended to look hurt, which made Rima flush even deeper in guilt._

_"Nagihiko, I'm so sorry, I just—it's just, I couldn't find you anything, and I—" She broke off, trying to find something to say. "I really am sorry," She mumbled_

_Nagihiko sighed, looking at the mortified individual with deep sorrow. "Oh. I see."_

_"Can I make it up to you?" Rima asked desperately, grabbing his arm._

_And with a sexy smirk, Nagihiko leaned down sliding a hand down her waist and tilting her chin up and whispering softly in her ear. "I'd love that," He murmured._

_Rima blushed brick red. "Baka, what are you doing?" She pushed at his chest weakly, but for the life of her she could barely stand on her own two legs with Nagihiko, God knows without._

_As it was, she didn't need to stand, for the next moment the warm breath of his mouth ghosted over her trembling lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her mouth. Rima gasped a little, and stretched upwards like flower towards sun, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him harder. She could feel his smile beneath her lips, and he responded, biting her lip gently. The scent of lilacs hung in the air._

_Every nerve ending in her body was jumping like a live wire, breath coming out shakily as his hands tightened at her lower back and stroked her neck. Finally she broke away, panting for breath as she looked up at him, caught in a tight embrace. She couldn't speak._

_"I think it would only be fit that you give me what I want and do not have." He caressed her cheek, touching his forehead to hers and breathing in her scent._

_"What's that?" She tried to catch hr breath, looking up at him with a wide-eyed gaze._

_"You," He whispered._

_Rima looked up at him, opening and closing her mouth, passing over his every feature. The boy was annoyingly perfect, had the world's weirdest hair, was about an inconvenient foot taller than her, and called her 'Mistress' to annoy the hell out of her. She wasn't even sure his perverted comments back in California that day were even under the influence of a chara-change. He did everything better than her, had just as many fans, a sparkle-attack that could be used as a national defense system, and was so infuriating sometimes she wanted to punch him in the face._

_"Of course," She buried her face in his chest and hugged him tight, wanting to cry as his encircling arms tightened and she felt him kiss the top of her head. "Of course."_

* * *

"Ohoho!" I raised an eyebrow at Girly-Boy and Shrimp. Girly-Boy had a firm grip on Rima's hand and a wide grin on his face, and Rima looked happy, even if her cheeks were so heated she seemed to be smoking a little. "What's going on here? Did you guys hook up?"

"Shut up, you pervert," Rima scoffed. "Of course we didn't."

"But who says we have to wait to hook up?" Nagihiko pulled Rima closer and kissed her cheek, nuzzling her softly. "We can do it right now."

"SHUT UP!"

"Déjà vu," Amu mumbled, glancing at me. I smiled, blinking innocently at her.

"Rima is very happy!" Kusukusu giggled.

Out of Nagihiko's pocket popped Rhythm. "You go, Nagihiko! Get some!"

Shrimp began to stutter uncontrollably (almost as bad as Amu) and Litle Queen stared at her twin's male chara. "What is wrong your guardian characters?"

"What do you mean?" Nagihiko smiled innocently.

"Well, they've been acting weird... and Rhythm's even more perverted than usual, and Temari's even more vicious as of late..."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING VICIOUS?!" Temari roared, eyes sparking and a tiny naginata popping into her grip, rushing forward and stabbbing Nadeshiko.

The purple-haired twin looked down at her in disbelief, glancing at the tiny, dull, toothpick-like weapon Temari was using to jab into her arm. "... Ow?"

Dia cried out, and Amu turned to her, concerned. "What's wrong?"

The little orange-haired would-be-self stared at Temari and Rhythm with wide-eyed horror, looking at Nagihiko with absolute terror. "His energy," She whispered, looking absolutely terrified. "It's corrupted."

"Who?" Amu cocked her head to the side.

"Dia," Temari sang, waltzing forward. Dia flinched and scooted back. "Wanna play a game?"

"Um, I'm good," Dia said hastily, avoiding her friend. Temari pouted.

"Pretty please? I think you'd like it."

"Oh, yeah, that'd be cool!" Ran said excitedly. "Let's go!"

Temari gave a wicked smile and purred, "Perfect." With that the guardian characters were off, with Temari in the lead and Rhythm bringing up the rear.

* * *

_"Nadeshiko!"_

_Said girl swore like a dirty pirate in very colorful English, earning her a couple of amused looks from her family members, who, as it turned out, were pretty much insane, insistent on giving her food ("Honey, you're too skinny, why don't you have some fried butter?") and trying to learn every miniscule bit about her personal life. Not that Nadeshiko minded. They were all very nice and made her feel welcome, not to mention a good hiding place from Tadase, who just so happened to have caught her when her newfound family was distracted._

_It wasn't that Nadeshiko was trying to avoid her best friend. Well okay, so she was, but she just couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye anymore after California. Somehow falling into a guy's arms and sobbing her deepest, darkest secrets to him and then falling asleep together seemed like the sort of romantic delusions that she had once had before she and Hisashi had started dating, and before everything collapsed. After all that pain, the possibility that she might have found those feelings again somehow made her feel guilty, as though it was wrong. She felt like she was betraying Hisashi. Besides, she'd only known Tadase for about three or so months._

_Here with her family, here with Nagihiko and Mom and Dad and all her friends, here was safety, here was happiness. Here she could let go of the past, start anew. But after all that had happened, allowing herself the luxury of falling in love seemed guilty, bad and foolish._

_He smiled at her, and she reciprocated, if her own was a little forced and her eyes were unfocused due to her angry shouting match going on within her mind between herself and whatever hormone made her cheeks turn pink._

_"So, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," He said very seriously, glancing around for a second and pulling her gently to the side. "It's seriously important, okay?"_

_"Sure, what's up?"_

_He looked her straight in the eye. "I want to come out to our friends during Obon."_

* * *

A soft, cold breeze wound its way through the early morning air, a fading reminince of the nighttime coolness. The sun just cast a white glow on the dawn horizon, peeking through the misty, shadowed clouds. Even on July 15th at two in the morning, the airport was abuzz with life. Though it held that strange clean openness and chill of all airports, people of all sorts were pulling black suitcases with wheels across the white floors and pushing carts, carrying backpacks, sporting thin tops or long coats, wearing hats, scarves, all sorts of traveling paraphernalia.

The ten of us seemed to hold a sort of an aura of exhaustion. Amu and Utau were stretching their arms, yawning widely and scratching their scalps. Kukai was dozing in his chair, eyes fluttering closed and then flying open at loud noises. Shrimp and Little King were sleeping, cute, babyish expressions on their faces that screwed up and pouted as Girly-Boy and Little Queen poked and prodded them, holding in snickers and laughs. Sugar High was snoring loudly, rather like a car engine, and Samurai Boy watched her with an adoring expression, brushing back the hair from her face. My mother was digging through my pack again and reorganizing.

A week ago, I had gotten a call from the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour in France, where we would tour for two months. My family, of course, had been thrilled, especially my father, who had called via video chat to inform me I would be staying with him when I arrived. My mother had packed and repacked my supplies all the way up until it was time for me to leave, and then insisted she be here. Utau told me to come back a better man so Amu wouldn't have to put up with the pervert I am today, and Kukai told me to bring back food.

From behind us, the call of "Flight 29, calling all passengers!" made those of us awake get to our feet and those of us asleep to flail their arms wildly upon the startling noise.

"WHOZAT!" Kukai sat up straight and immediately tumbled out of his seat. Utau busted out laughing as she helped him to his feet, and he blinked as he stared at her in a dazed manner.

"I guess it's time for me to go." I got to my feet, shouldering my violin case over my shoulder and gently tugging my pack from my mother's nervous hands.

"See you later, Ikuto," Utau gave me a cheery smile, dumping her boyfriend on the ground (who began to snore almost as loudly as Yaya) and embraced me in a tight hug. I grinned and hugged her back, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Tell Aruto to come back soon," Mother said wistfully. I sighed.

"Mother, you know as well as I he'll probably worm his way into coming back from France with the troupe."

She ignored this and hugged me tightly. "My little boy," She murmured.

"My little mother," I teased her, and she chuckled, stepping away. I turned to my girlfriend, who appeared close to tears. "Aren't I getting a hug, Amu-koi?"

She sniffled, and leapt forward, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face into my shoulder. "I'll miss you," She whispered into my neck.

"I'll miss you, too."

"I promise, I'll be back in no time. Now, remember, Amu-koi, don't go causing any trouble, I don't want to come back to mass panic."

She gave a breathy laugh. "It's in my nature. I'm a rebel."

"Sure it is. And, Amu..." I tilted her chin up, "No matter what, you're mine." I kissed her gently, enjoying the strawberry pink flush that was creeping up her neck.

"Baka hentai," She mumbled, stepping away and crossing her arms. "Why am I going out with you again?"

"Later, Tsukiyomi," Nadeshiko said brightly, giving me a handshake that made me wince and massage my fingers after she turned away. Nagihiko did the same, although considerably less painfully and with a sexy smirk that made me feel proud of the guy for a moment.

"Later, Shrimp, Sugar," I ruffled their hair, and they both protested, Rima shooting me her death glare and Yaya grumbling something about sleep and good riddance.

"Goodbye, Onii-san," Little King shook hands with me.

"Aw, give me a real hug, Otouto," I said brightly, yanking him into a tight hug, which caused him to flush and flail his arms wildly.

Tadase spluttered. "O—Onii-san—please put me down—"

"Farewell, Tsukiyomi-san," Kairi nodded with a calm smile, shaking my hand.

"Later, man." Kukai yawned and gave me a brotherly hug, which was really more like he swooned into my arms since he tried to give me a hug and ended up falling asleep halfway through it.

"See you soon." I gave Amu one last kiss, and turned to board the plane, sending one last wave over my shoulder. They all stood waving goodbye, (or sleeping, I guess) and I got one last glimpse of my beautiful pink-haired girl with smiling honey eyes, and then they were out of sight.

* * *

_"Goodbye!" Amu called over her shoulder, waving to her tired friends as she exited the airport, sighing in content and remininsce. She turned to the Fujisaki twins, smiling in thanks. "It's really cool of you guys to take me home."_

_Nadeshiko smiled. "Of course, Amu. It was no trouble."_

_"Yeah, we couldn't leave a damsel in distress." Nagihiko arrived, grinning cheekily as Rima stomped away, blushing furiously and touching her puffy mouth self-consciously without a single goodbye to her friends."Yeah, we couldn't leave a damsel in distress." Nagihiko sent Amu a flirt wink, who blinked in surprise. Nade frowned._

_"Dia, dear," Temari sang. "Come on out!"_

_Ran, Miki and Su wriggled out of the old, worn egg carrier. "Hey, Temari!" Ran said cheerfully as she tugged on a resistant Dia. "What's up?"_

_The possessed chara smiled, though there was nothing pleasant in the character's dark gaze. "Have you ever read Hamlet, Ran?"_

_"Uh..." The red chara scratched her head uncertainly. "I don't really read..."_

_"I have," Miki piped up. "By William Shakespeare? The one with the crazy guy who was convinced his uncle killed his dad to marry his mother and it all ends in blood and death?"_

_"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't," The two said in creepy unison._

_"How pregnant sometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of." The others started and turned to see Dia, with fiery eyes and a fierce expression._

_"You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal: except my life, except my life, except my life," Temari said softly._

_"Fare you well, my lord," Dia hissed, clenching her tiny fists._

_"Why does it feel so tense here?" Su wondered to herself._

_"Ah,it's here!" Nagihiko called. "Amu, Nade, the car is pulling up!"_

_"Oh, really? Holy crap, it's huge!" Amu felt her mouth drop open in shock at the black limousine rolling up the curb. The chauffeur stepped out, giving a slight bow at his master and lady and a polite nod to Amu, gesturing within._

_"Thanks, Inoue-san!" Nadeshiko smiled brightly at the grey-haired man, who reciprocated. After a moment's hesitation, she motioned Amu in, then followed._

_"Scooch over, Sis," Nagihiko flopped, all manners apparently forgotten, and threw an arm around his sister, who raised an eyebrow._

_"Something up, Nagihiko?"_

_"Whaddya mean?" He tossed her a nonchalant, sparkling smile, which she returned mockingly._

_"Don't sparkle-attack me. You've been acting kinda weird."_

_"Really? I feel fine." He shrugged then grinned, kissing her cheek. "Don't you worry, my beautiful twin, everything is wonderfully, perfectly okay."_

_His twin frowned as she raised a hand to her cheek, eyeing him suspiciously. "...Sure." She shook her head and pulled out her phone, immediately beginning to text at a furious speed as if she had something of grave importance to speak with to another._

_"Perhaps it's just Rima," Amu giggled, thinking of her best friend. "You guys are really good together! I'm just sorry it took you so long to get together."_

_"Oh, yes." Nagihiko smiled happily, a strange glint in his eye. "It's to die for."_

_Against the notice of the two other passengers, Nagihiko's eyes flickered inky black once, then were gone._

_The car lurched suddenly, screeching to halt. Amu and Nadeshiko shrieked, flying forward, Amu thrust forward and held back by the seatbelt, and Nadeshiko, who had neglected to buckle herself in, barely saved from a horrid concussion by Nagihiko's tight grip._

_"Thanks, Nagi," Nadeshiko huffed. For a moment Nagihiko frowned, black eyes bleeding into amber, then he nodded. "You okay too, Amu?"_

_"Y_—_Yeah." She rubbed her neck, wincing slightly where the belt had dug into her skin. "That was kind of scary."_

_Nagihiko pushed a button and the privacy glass scrolled down. "Inoue-san, is something wrong?"_

_The elderly driver nodded. "Why? Is something wrong?"_

_"Perhaps it would be a bit better if we drove just a hint more smoothly," Nagihiko hinted politely. Inoue-san bowed his head, and the car began to move once more._

_It was one terrifying ride later, filled with bumps, sharp turns, and squealing stops that Amu teetered out of the car, looking queasy._

_"Thank you," She said weakly, stumbling dizzily to her door and collapsing in the entryway inside her house._

_"How strange," Nadeshiko's brow furrowed. "Inoue-san is a very good driver. Why would today have been so bad? Nagihiko? Shit!" The purple-haired twin lurched forward in her seat, cradling her pale, clammy brother in her arms. "Nagihiko, what's wrong?"_

_He moaned, eyelids fluttering feebly, chest moving just the slightest, and he sat up. A fraction of a second, and his eyes were a million miles away, dark as pitch and so, so empty, and then they were golden again. "Low blood sugar, I guess. Sorry," He murmured._

_Nadeshiko sighed in relief, eyes still darting over his figure in worry. "You'll be all right," She said, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself, unwilling to believe that everything was fine._

_And it was in more ways than one, as if some part of her was aware of the battle her brother was desperately fighting within his own mind._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	35. Rima Tastes Like Peaches!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!****  
**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Yaya**

"Ohayo!" I skipped forward, hugging my friends and rolling back on my feet, clapping excitedly. "So great to see you guys!"

"How can you move in that?" Amu stared at my yukata (yellow with swirly candies!) blinking as if she'd never seen me wear anything of the sort before. "It's over ninety degrees outside. Aren't you hot?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Anyways, Kukai told me that he and Utau would be here soon, but I dunno about Rima and Tada and Nagi and Nade. Hey, I want candy!"

"Sure does change topics fast..." Ran mumbled, Miki and Su nodding in agreement.

Kairi chuckled. "Perhaps it's a bit early in the day to have candy."

"It's never too early for sweets!" I protested, and he smiled.

"True. Then it would be too early to do this." With that, he leaned in to kiss me.

"Why don't we go check out the booths while we wait?" Amu suggested hurriedly—rather rudely interrupting what could have been an amazing kiss—motioning towards the crowd.

Today was Obon, a day for dance (well, that would start when it was cooler) and celebration. Today, in my yukata (yellow with swirly candies!) I felt like a greater part of the festival, what with the colorful booths and callers, the alluring items for sale, the temptation of cool treats and hot meals.

"Ooh, is that Botan candy?" I sped over to the nearest table and grabbed the tiny red-green box, popping one in my mouth. "Mmmm!"

"Gimme one~dechu!" Pepe swooped in and dove into the box, wriggling back out with an armful of candy.

"I'll pay for that," Kairi offered, handing the indignant seller money and shaking his head. "You had better share some of that candy with me. I did pay for it, after all."

"Aw, fine." I pouted and held out the box, which he plucked a piece from and popped into his mouth, kissing my cheek.

"Sweet."

"You two are sickeningly sweet," Rima commented, appearing in front of us and holding Nagihiko's hand. "It's kinda gross."

"So are you," I shot back. "I always catch you guys making out."

"Rima's just so irresistable," Nagihiko said cheerfully, over Rima's angry stuttering, "She tastes like peaches and cream."

"Rima thinks Nagi tastes like lavender!" Kusukusu floated around her bearer's bright red face.

"Kusukusu, I swear I'm going to kill you someday."

"Oh, really?" Nagihiko grinned and nuzzled his girlfriend's cheek. "Well, lavender and peaches makes a good combination, I say."

"Hello!" Kukai waved with a free hand, his other occupied with several bags.

"Hey, Kukai!" I said brightly.

Amu took some of his load. "What are all these bags for?"

"Presents! Afterwards, we're meeting up our families, so these are for them.

"That reminds me!" Nagihiko smacked his forehead and rushed away. "I have to get something, I'll find you guys later!"

"Weird," Amu blinked. "Nagihiko never forgets anything."

"He has been acting kind of strange lately," Kukai said thoughtfully. "Ruder."

Rima harrumphed. "He's a freaking pervert, that's what he is. I can't go anywhere with him without him harrassing me with affection." Though her words were exasperated, her expression was pleased.

"Aw, you know you like it!" I teased her, giggling at her flush.

"Hello?" Utau waved her hands impatiently. "Are you guys going to take your presents or what?"

"Thank you!" Amu said happily as she took her gift, handing out her own from a plastic bag. "Here you go."

"I have some, too!" I yanked my hidden pack from my yukata (yellow with swirly candies!) and tossed around the little gift bags I'd spent an hour preparing.

"So, where's Otouto and Nadeshiko?" Utau asked.

"I got a text from Nade saying they'd be late," Amu confirmed. "She said it was really important."

"Important they get together," Utau snickered.

"Oh, yeah! They're the last ones we have to set up~desu!" Su blurted out, then covered her mouth. The other guardian characters gasped.

"Last ones?" Amu cocked her head. "What do you mean, 'last'?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Dia sad quickly. "Ha-ha, she just meant that... um..."

"They're the last ones to get together," Azumi supplied, floating into view.

"Yes!" The charas nodded in relief. "Azumi, when did you get here?" Miki asked curiously. "Where's Nadeshiko and Tadase?"

Azumi smiled. "They're coming soon. Just held up on a few things. I promise, they've got a surprise for all of you."

* * *

_It was an early morning on August 15th that Tadase sat outside his house, tapping his foot and twiddling the thin nervously. It was hot, a muggy thickness that settled near the ground like fog, waves of heat rippling in the distance above mirages on asphalt. Today was Obon, and today he was extremely glad that he was wearing a yukata; the thin, airy fabric allowed for a cool breeze to slip through the weave. One less thing to worry of, especially when today was so important._

_For over a month now, Nadeshiko had been helping him to prepare for what to say, how to finally tell his friends, to make sure he was truly ready himself. In the few periods where they were both free, it had taken many a practiced line, preparation for questions to be asked, assurances of self-acceptance and confidence, that had led to this final day, to this closure. Nadeshiko had promised him firmly that she would be there with him every step of the way, with every word, ready to support him fully._

_And it was, with two hours before noon, with a huge, festering pit in his gut, wobbly legs, and a horrid balloon in his chest that expanded with air that it stole from his very breath, the young man was so devastatingly terrified that he had begun, not for the first time, to have regrets._

_It felt shameful, he admitted to himself, to even think of the idea. This was, of course, a matter of great importance, but to consider it a bad idea? The notion seemed to suggest that he still felt shame, as if there were something wrong with his sexual preferences. _

_There was not, of course, anything 'bad' at all of the subject, a fact that Tadase knew, and yet fear still tightened his throat. His only consolation was that soon Nadeshiko would be here, ready to counter any doubts, help him through it. The gratitude he felt for her was great; she would be there for him, he knew it, and they had known each other just over four months. Already their bond had grown strong, and though they had known each other for such a comparitively short time, he felt he could trust her with his life._

"_Tadase!" The beautiful violet-haired girl appeared out of nowhere, smiling brightly. With her came the relief of a cool breeze, lifting her hair slightly and curling in an unnatural fashion around her limbs. "Good, you're here." She frowned. "You don't look so good."_

"_...I think I'm having second thoughts," Tadase whispered, tightening his balled, sweaty fists._

_She took him by the shoulders, looking him in the eye. "You can do this. I know you can."_

_His breath came shuddering out of his throat. "Yeah."_

_She smiled softly. "And I'll be there with you the whole time."_

"_You are a good king," Kiseki told him. "And as a good king, you must be honest with your subjects."_

"_I sent Azumi ahead," Nadeshiko told him. "She went to tell them we were coming, so no backing out now."_

_Tadase nodded weakly, and, hesitating for a second, he took a surprised Nadeshiko's hand. "Please don't let go," He mumbled. "I don't think I can do this without you."_

_Her cheeks were flushed just barely, but she smiled. "I wouldn't want it any other way."_

_With that, she began to lead him forward slowly, one step at a time, tugging him gently in the direction of the accumulating crowd, closer and closer, and suddenly Tadase could see his friends, and he could barely breathe, and immediately dug in his heels and stopped. "I can't!" He said in an anguished voice. "I just can't!"_

_He felt her arms embracing him, pulling him close, and he responded, bowing his head and burying his face in her neck, trying to control himself. "Shh, shh," She murmured soothingly. "It's okay, it's okay, you can do this, I'm right here with you, I'm not leaving, okay?"_

_His grip on her waist tightened, lasting just enough, and he let go, taking her hand once more and shutting his eyes tight. Then he nodded._

"_I'm taking another step, okay?" Her voice was calm, reassuring. "Just a few more steps, and you'll be there."_

"_Hey, Nadeshiko! Hey, Tadase!" Amu's cheerful voice seemed to pierce Tadase's ears, sending a flood of liquid Fear tumbling through his chest. "Good, you're here! We were just heading to look at some booths."_

"_Hey, guys. Hold on a moment." Tadase felt small, warm hands prying his own from his face. "Hey, hey, look at me. You ready?"_

_He took a deep, shaky breath, his voice breaking. "Yes."_

"_Okay. I'm right here."_

"_What's up, guys?" Yaya's voice penetrated his ears. He could feel their eyes on him._

_Tadase bowed his head, trying to work up the courage. It was now or never._

"_I'm bi."_

_There was silence. Then, "What?"_

_He lifted his face, meeting their eyes with his, and spoke in a voice that sounded much clearer and calmer than the roiling, sickening feeling in his stomach. "I am bisexual."_

_Still silence. The nervousness began to crawl its way up his spine, and he took another breath, looking a Nadeshiko once for support. She smiled and turned to the others. "Do you guys want to say anything?"_

"_You're... bisexual?" Utau stared at him for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Okay."_

_Tadase blinked, opening and closing his mouth. "...So... you're not... freaked out? Shocked? Anything?"_

"_I don't think it matters," Utau said, smiling at him. "You're still my little brother. Being bisexual changes absolutely nothing. Well," She paused, "I suppose you'll have to let me know if anything related to your being bi is a sensitive subject..."_

"_Omigosh!" Amu squealed, and leapt up to hug him. "I had no idea!"_

"_I suspected you weren't entirely heterosexual." Kairi pushed up his glasses. "It was a decision, I believe, between metrosexual, pansexual and, obviously, bisexual. But Utau is correct, this changes absolutely nothing. You are still one of my close friends."_

_Yaya clapped her hands. "Cool! So now we know!"_

"_I guessed after you kissed that guy that one time in the restaurant," Kukai laughed._

_The boy with the cornsilk hair felt his knees weaken past breaking point, and suddenly he found himself on the ground, head in his hands. Immediately Nadeshiko was there, kneeling in front of him with a worried expression, and then his other friends, murmuring._

"_Tadase? Is something wrong?" Amu's face was filled with anxiety._

"_...I just..." He let out a shaky chuckle. "I didn't think... you guys were so..."_

"_Accepting?" Utau crossed her arms. "What kind of people do you take us for?"_

"_Exactly! And hey," Kukai put his arm around his friend's shoulder, "if you end up coming out to the world and someone is mean to you, just tell me and I'll kick their ass."_

"_No need for that," Tadase said hastily._

_Utau turned to Nadeshiko. "So, how did you find out?"_

"_I guessed," She said simply. "And he told me himself during play practice."_

"_Wait, wait, wait." Kukai waved his hands. "So you're telling me that Nadeshiko, who knew you all of—what, a month?—figured it out out before us, who've known you for years? _And_ you told her before us?"_

"_Bonds are measured not by time, but through the depth of understanding, the constancy shown, and the mutual emotions shared between," A voice said behind them._

_Tadase's eyes widened in shock. "Yoichi-kun!"_

_The older man smiled calmly. "Hello, Tadase-kun. It's good to see you."_

"_You're the guy that Tadase made out with!" Kukai laughed in surprise._

_Yoichi chuckled softly. "Yes, I am. So nice of you to remember me in such a way." Kukai looked embarrassed, but said nothing._

"_I haven't seen you in forever," Tadase told him, shaking his hand. "How have you been?"_

_Yoichi's eyes sparkled. "I'm going to be an uncle. My sister is having a kid. And you?"_

"_That's really cool!" Tadase laughed. "Well, um... so I kind of just came out to my friends."_

"_I guessed. Congratulations! Do your parents know?"_

"_I told them a while back. Nadeshiko—er, this is Nadeshiko, Yoichi-kun—she helped me tell them. They took it really well, actually, but I can't really say about some of my more distant family. Um, see, a lot of them are kind of... homophobic." With those words, Tadase heard his voice catch._

"_Hey, let's think positively for a moment here," Nade scolded him, and he gave her a real smile. "Good. We're getting to that, remember? One bridge at a time. Now, what were you guys saying? Booths? And a baby on the way?"_

_And just like that, in the blink of an eye,it was over._

* * *

"Rima!" Nagihiko came racing out of nowhere, carrying a large bouquet of deep blue roses and a small box of chocolates. A wide, slightly crazed (and frightening, actually) grin was spread across his face. He leapt right up to her, pushing past people in a disturbingly rude way, and knelt in front of her, holding out the roses and the chocolates out to her in a reverent way.

His girlfriend stared at him incredulously, eyes flickering between him and the roses, her cheeks growing increasingly red. "You―roses and chocolates?!―How did you―why―I ―what?" She sputtered.

"I paid for the blue roses with my own money and had the chocolates imported straight from Belgium," He told her earnestly, giving her a bright smile. She turned even redder, took a dizzy-sort-of-step towards him, and immediately launched herself at him.

"You baka!" She wailed, punching every inch of him she could reach. "All I got you was this!" She thrust an adorable white teddy bear that held a single red rose. "Way to make me feel like a good girlfriend!"

For a moment, I expected him to look embarrassed and promise to return them while apologizing profusely, because that was the sort of thing Nagihiko would normally do. But he simply laughed out loud, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her fiercely, at which point she kissed him back (after her total shock at his suddenness, of course.)

"What'd you get me?" I teased Kairi, knocking him with my arm. He chuckled, and produced a bag of my favorite candy. "Oh, gosh! How did you find this stuff? It's nowhere nowadays!" I giggled and hugged him. "And this is yours," I said slyly, pulling out a pocket-watch I'd caught him eyeing.

"I gotta PEE!" Nadeshiko rushed away with a frantic look on her face.

The man that Tadase had introduced us to―Yoichi-kun?-gave Tadase a sly smile. "So... did you get anything for your friend Nadeshiko?"

Tadase turned bright red and began to stutter uncontrollably. "W―What? I―I d-don't―s-she isn't―I mean―I d-do, but―I'm not―we aren't―she doesn't―I―um―"

Yoichi-kun scoffed. " I'm not blind. I can see the way you look at her. You realize your whole expression lights up when she's around?"

"R-Really?" Tadase squeaked.

"Obviously. But, do you have a present for her?" He chuckled at the deepening scarlet in his cheeks. "I take that as a yes. May I ask what you got her?"

Tadase, hand shaking slightly, pulled a sparkling silver chain from his pocket, a thin and delicate fibre from which a miniature sterling dreamcatcher with woven filaments in the shape of a blossom hung. Strung into the design was a minute dark moonstone that shone and glittered mysteriously.

"It's beautiful," I gasped.

"You're giving my sister jewelry?" Nagihiko raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in a protective manner with a terrifying look on his face.

"You better not hurt her," Rima said threateningly. "Or you'll have both of us on your tail."

"Uh..." Tadase gulped.

"Best of luck to ya, buddy!" Kukai smacked him hard on the back.

"Ow!"

Amu stifled a smile. "Well, to be honest, Tadase, I think Nade li―"

"Amu!" Ran, Miki, Su and Dia all came flying forward, circling her head madly and all talking at once with lots of rice candy in their tiny grip.

"Amu, look! Candy!" Ran said excitedly.

"So sweet, ~desu," Su twirled happily. "I like sweets!"

"They're delicious," Miki's eyes sparkled as the rice paper on one melted in her mouth.

"Cellophane wrappers are tough," Dia grunted, attempting to pull the curiously stubborn wrapper off hers.

"Honestly, guys, we had some earlier," Amu said in fond exasperation, plucking Dia's away and unwrapping it for her. "Geez, you guys have already had so many sweets..."

"I'm back!" Nadeshiko came up behind her best friend. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Um..." Amu shook her head. "I forgot. Hey, look! A photo booth!"

"Sweet!" I grabbed my friends' arms and dragged them over to it, ushering them into the now-cramped stall. "Coming, Yoichi-kun?"

He shook his head. "You kids have fun. I should find my boyfriend, anyways. It was good to see you, Tadase."

"You, too, Yoichi!" Tadase called in a muffled voice somewhere inside the booth. I managed to shove my way in, sitting on Kairi's lap with my arm thrown around Amu.

"Say cheese, guys!"

There was a blinding flash, and I tumbled out, caught by Kairi. "Thanks," I huffed, and he chuckled, pulling me closer for a hug.

"Out of the way, you two," Utau sounded annoyed. "The rest of us are trying to get out here, you know."

"Sorry!" And with that, Amu, Kukai, Utau, Rima, and Nagihiko and came tumbling out, Amu and Utau falling on top of Nagihiko and Kukai, who fell onto poor Rima.

"Mmphfgerroffme!"

* * *

_While the rest of their friends piled out of the photo booth, Tadase and Nadeshiko, who had unfortunately been shoved up against the wall farthest from the exit, gasped for breath. But with a strangely convenient turn of events and the disappearance of two certain guardian characters, there was a slip, a trip, and a stumble, and suddenly Tadase found himself on the ground, straddling his best friend with his legs and a hand on either side of her head, looking down at her, less than a foot from her face. Her dark violet hair was splayed around her, coming out of her ribbon and spilling around her face. Both their eyes were wide, cheeks flushed and breath stuttering out of their lungs._

_It was an eternity, seconds stretching out as the two, hidden away from the rest of the world, stared at each other. Tadase's eyes flickered over every inch of her face. Almost as if in a trance, he lifted a hand, fingers brushing her cheek and trailing slowly down her neck and figure. Her breath hitched and her eyes were round, flickering back and forth between his red-violet orbs and his soft pink lips, reaching her hands up and cupping his cheeks gently. Eyelids fluttering shut, the two leaned in, millimeter by millimeter, until their mouths were barely touching, a tiny wisp of a kiss._

_And suddenly there was a scream, one of absolute, mortal agony, and the two sat up and scramble away from each other in total shock, breathing hard. One look of lost confusion, but there was no time for hesitation._

_Another scream, then another, and many intertwining, a chorus of fear, and the two leapt to their feet, grabbing each others' hands and out of the booth, towards the screaming._

_People immediately were shoving past them, looks of utter terror and they sprinted away from the source that Tadase and Nadeshiko were trying to get to. It was total chaos, with pushing hands and heavy bodies, cries for help and sobs, the sound of sirens in the distance, splintering wood of booths and, over it all, a spine-chilling evil laughter._

_There, in the centre of the madness, was the demon, the horrid, black, grotesque figure, giggling in its high, childish voice that echoed throughout with the screams of the young. It stood hunched over a motionless figure, gripping the victim's chest with spidery fingers dripping with sizzling blood. X-Eggs floated over the hundreds of bodies._

"_Tadase! Nadeshiko!" A voice screamed from behind them, and suddenly Amu was there, with the rest that stood in horror as the demon cackled._

"_What the hell is that thing?!" Kukai yelled over the commotion, fighting the pull of the crowd._

"_Amu, what are you doing?" Utau shrieked, but it was too late. Amu was sprinting in the direction of the demon. Just over the screams of the mob, the call of "Unlock my heart!" could be heard, and with a flash of light, Amulet Heart zoomed into the air._

"_Let's go!" Nadeshiko shouted, and without another word, the rest transformed, rushing to join their courageous friend in battle._

_Amu somersaulted backwards in a narrow avoidance of an assault of X-Eggs, tossing her Heart Rod in her Spiral Heart Special. Tadase rushed forward, sliding smoothly beneath the muttering X-Eggs and raising his scepter, shooting a beam of golden light and dissolving the dark energy of the X-Eggs._

_But the Dream Thief only laughed, and with that came a shiver, a ripple of energy, and suddenly dark energy was bleeding into the Heart's Eggs once more. Tadase managed to roll out from beneath the crushing weight of the X-Eggs, but it mattered not, for the X-Eggs shot straight at a grounded, weakened, no-longer-transformed Amu, aimed in a deadly point at her heart._

"_NO!" A girl shrieked, and with a violet flash of light, Utau sprang at Amu, shoving her to the side, collapsing in a motionless heap as the deadly point hit her right in the heart._

_Amu wriggled out from under her friend and shaking her. "No! Utau!" Utau's head lolled, body entirely limp. She wasn't breathing._

"_Utau!" In a flash, 'Sky Jack' was gone, and Kukai fell to his knees before his lifeless girlfriend, taking her into his arms as tears streamed down his face. No movement. A minute, two minutes of pure agony. "Come on, come on, wake up!" He sobbed, begging his love. "I know you're in there! Please!"_

_Tadase felt himself drop, staring at the figure of his sister, his older sister, and it had to be a dream, it couldn't be anything else, because Utau couldn't be dead—his Onee-san couldn't be gone—_

_There was a twitch, a wince, and suddenly Utau's chest rose and fell once more, as if some pitying source of air had filled her lungs, and she moaned, eyelids fluttering open._

"_Utau," Kukai breathed, and he embraced her, shoulders shuddering as he held the confused idol._

"_What happened? I saved Amu, and then I blacked out... what's going on? Why are you all staring at me?"_

"_Onee-san..." Tadase murmured, and fell forward, hugging her tightly and burying a tearstained cheek in her shoulder._

"_Geez, it's like you guys thought I died or something," Utau grumbled, fondly ruffling her little brother's hair and kissing her boyfriend on the cheek, getting steadily to her feet. "Obviously I'm fine."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Tadase saw Nadeshiko, who was sighing in relief. He took her hand with a smile, eyes conveying his gratitude, and she nodded ever so slightly, turning her fond gaze to the idol._

_In the rejoicing of the nine, none had noticed the demon slipping away into the shadows._

* * *

**All right, so I know I touched on a really touchy subject today. I understand that for hundreds of thousands, probably millions and millions of people go through when they try to come out. I understand that just saying the words can ruin a family bond, lose a friend. I promise that these words were not meant to insult, hurt, or in any way have a deeper/derogatory message to the LGBTQ (and more) community.**

**Read and Review!**


	36. Everyone Forgets Kukai's Birthday!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Kukai**

"It's not safe anywhere in Osaka anymore. We need to get out of here, and fast."

"But can we really just leave everything behind to get away from the danger?"

"I don't think we have any choice. All we can do is take everything necessary and leave."

"And if it doesn't? Where will we go? It's impossible for anyone in either of our families to support us, and if we're leaving, we won't have jobs anymore."

I slumped against the wall, staring at the ceiling and sighing. For the past week, after the horrible incident at Obon, my parents had argued about leaving Osaka until the spreading terror of the Dream Thief had blown over.

Not that anyone but a few of us knew that the monster that stalked Osaka was an evil, mysterious demon. In the chaos at Obon, the demon had somehow managed to erase any memory of its supernatural appearance, instead leaving a mysterious and terrifying wonder at what could have caused the disasters occurring. Police were everywhere nowadays, encouraging us to stay calm and take safety precautions, if we weren't fleeing the city for refuge. The past few weeks at my college, the number of students had dwindled from thousands into hundreds. According to my high-school friends, the same was happening for Seiyo Academy. Nearly everyone was gone except for a mere three hundred, and more were leaving.

I glanced back at the room where my parents were still arguing, their voices raised and tense, then looked away, grabbing my phone, exiting the house to muggy evening weather and slipping into the worn leather jacket, throwing up the hood. Today, August 17th, was my eighteenth birthday, but in all the commotion, there was no time for celebrating. Not when there was a demon hell-bent on destroying Osaka. I had more important things to worry about tonight than what I was getting from my relatives.

With that thought, I began to sprint into the dark, humid night, Daichi speeding through the air after me as I raced towards our decided rendezvous point, beneath yellow street-light and through the empty city towards the gated entrance of the park, where the shadowed, silhouetted figures of the rest stood waiting.

I came to a stop, nodding at each tersely. "I'm here."

"Hey." Utau kissed me once on the cheek. "Still waiting on Tadase and Amu. They're supposedly bringing some new people."

I raised an eyebrow. "New people?"

Rima spoke. "Amu says they have new information about the demon."

"I see. I have more, as well." I turned to Utau. "You or I?"

"I'll talk. They'll be here in about ten. Better keep on watch."

Nagihiko, who sat casually on a bench, sighed. "Ten minutes, huh? I'll go to the bathroom over at the museum. Anyone wanna join?"

"I'll go with you," Nadeshiko supplied, and the two walked off towards the nearby historical landmark.

"You want me to hold your glasses for you?" Yaya asked Kairi. "Last time they got in the way. I can keep 'em somewhere safe."

"Thanks." He handed her the worn pair. "I better get contacts."

We all tensed at the sudden noise of an unfamiliar, sleek black sedan coming down the street, backing up from the line of sight into the bushes. It was pulling up on the side of the curb, and the soft purr of the engine died as a woman, tall, dark and sleek as the car, stepped out.

"Who is that?" I breathed.

And both Amu and Tadase were stepping out of the car with her, crossing the pavement and standing in our clearing with determined, tense expressions.

"Guys, we're here," Amu hissed.

I glanced at Utau, who nodded once, and we began to back away silently, drawing the rest of us away from the clearing.

"What do they think they're doing?" Rima's voice could barely be heard.

"She said she brought information. That doesn't look like information~dechu," Pepe mumbled.

Nagihiko and Nadeshiko appeared next to me, and I barely held in a yelp. "What's going on? Why are Amu and Tadase standing next to a tall woman dressed like a spy?"

"Guys, where are you?" Amu called again.

"She seems trustworthy enough," Azumi murmured, inspecting the woman. "I don't sense anything suspicious about her."

Daichi gasped. "Her heart's egg has hatched before."

"Fine. Let's see what's up," Utau whispered, and with that we were in view, startling Amu and Tadase.

"Hey," Tadase said, glancing once at us, eyes flickering to Nadeshiko and looking away hurriedly with an embarrassed look.

"This is Akira Amakawa," Amu told us, gesturing to the slim woman. "She says she has things we need to talk about."

"She's married to my uncle," Tadase looked at her with fresh hurt and distrust.

"Hello. The woman bowed slightly. "I understand you nine are fighting this... recent plague in our city?"

"You mean the Dream Thief?" Utau retorted, looking distrustful.

"Or the Demon of Hearts, yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "How exactly do you know of the demon? I think we'd all like some answers."

She gave a single nod. "As before stated, I am Agent Akira Amakawa, and I work for Easter." There was a shocked silence, and then she continued. "It was my job to infiltrate the demon's Possessed, but was... found out, you could say." As she spoke, she rolled up one sleeve, revealing a deep gash in her arm. "It's been decided by my superiors that, due to how severe the situation is, I help the current Lock and Key Guardians as much as possible."

"Lock and Key Guardians?" Yaya looked confused.

The woman turned her eyes on our friend. "But you are missing one, are you not?" She said quietly. "Where is the Key to the Lock?"

"...Ikuto?" Amu said uncertainly. "But why do we need him here?"

"I'll come to that. I assume with one of you now present, you are ready to hear what I have to say?"

"Of course." Utau nodded.

"I am, in fact, Tadase's aunt. I am also the first Joker." She nodded slightly to Amu, who blinked in surprise. "I assume you all are aware of the duties of the Seiyo Academy Guardians?

"In the beginning, yes, our original priorities were that of what yours are today. But for a period during mine and Tsukasa's last year as guardians, the Guardians had to face the Demon of Hearts. In our battle with the Demon, we discovered several things. We found that the Demon is immortal, and therefore impossible to destroy. We knew that it was extremely fast and strong along with the ability to fly, and without proper protection, brought your greatest fears to light using its powers. Its own acidic, tarry blood is able to melt through even the hardest metals. It can possess any body and take over the mind of its inhabited person. It can also shape-shift into any form.

"In our Transformed forms, we could injure and dispel the demon, but to do so, would need the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key at least in its presence. That is, in fact, what the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key were designed for—the use of protecting the dreams of all who were born here as children of the Earth. The Lock and Key were created for that purpose and that alone, which is why it is so useful in defending against a demon who feeds upon the broken dreams and Fear itself. In fact, it is why it is possible to cleanse, not destroy, Heart's Eggs. This Lock and Key combination are the artifacts of the two destined to protect the world.

"The Lock and Key were instrumental in our first defense with the Dream Thief. And in the final battle against the demon, it fled and we thought that was the end of it. However, from more recent discovery over the last two years with Easter, I have discovered through history that it has never left. Though in a weakened state, it fed on the growing fears of all Japan, and for whatever reason has returned here to feast upon the souls of Osaka.

"And more." Agent Amakawa paused. "I assume that you have all been aware that, as a demonic presence is in our city, there must also be other supernatural and fantastical creatures and persons?"

The nine of us sweat-dropped. "...What?"

"Of course, we knew about spirits, that's how we know that the thing is a demon, but..." Utau said hastily. "What do you mean, others?"

"Dragons, the Little People, shape-shifters, creatures of mythology, clairvoyants, elementals, those that..." Her eyes flickered to one of us. "have influence over the world around them."

"And the possibility of guardian characters are a part of that?" Kairi questioned.

"Of course. You see, these supernatural beings are not naturally part of our world. Think this Reality that we live in as one out of millions where these supernatural beings are actually natural. Now imagine that they are able to cross into different Realities, like ours."

"So humans are multi-versal?" Kairi asked.

"Perhaps. And perhaps not. The amount of universes is endless, so who can say? We cannot even be sure if one of these 'supernatural' beings are really supernatural, but in fact native to our universe. The same is said for this demon. We do not know if it truly belongs in another world, or it belongs here. But once again, on the subject of supernatural beings, it would be... useful to gather both knowledge and allies from the supernatural community. You already have both Tsukasa and I."

"Akira-san says that my uncle is a clairvoyant, and she has heightened physical capabilities," Tadase said softly, watching his aunt with a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"So... he can see the future, and you...?"

"I am... physically more capable than the average human." Agent Amakawa shrugged. " But you have us on your side, as well as Easter."

"Easter?" It was silent for a moment. "So... you're saying that Easter is willing to help us in defeating this demon?"

"Yes. That is my purpose in visiting the nine of you, and soon, I hope, the ten."

"Why is it so important about the 'Lock and Key Guardians'?" Yaya asked.

"As I said before, the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key were created as tools that helped the Lock Guardian and the Key Guardian in protecting Earth when dreams are threatened. At the present time, it would be Amu Hinamori and Ikuto Tsukiyomi, as they are the two chosen to fufill this duty."

"...So..." Amu slumped slightly as she stood, stunned. "I'm..."

"Your destiny revolves around saving the dreams of children. The same goes for Ikuto Tsukiyomi, of course. But yes. The two of you must fight the demon together, and win to save the people of Osaka."

"But, when you said the world..." Amu looked terrified. "You mean that Ikuto and I have to go around the world—"

"I do not mean to say that you must travel the world in search of dying or endangered dreams. But in times of great danger, you are the two who must stop it... until you pass it on, of course. And you will know when to pass them on, as did my husband and I."

"I..." Amu sat down hard on a bench. "I don't know what to say. What am I supposed to do now?"

"When the time is right, you must both fight the demon," Agent Amakawa said simply. "It will happen when it happens. That could be any moment from right this very second to several years from now—although I highly doubt it will be so distant, knowing the current danger. I began to train to increase our chances of winning against the demon, as well as attempt to recruit allies."

"Like Easter and fantastical creatures," Rima supplied.

"Yes. Easter Corporation, as a whole, is entirely on your side. No tricks, no catches, nothing but allegiance. As for others..." She turned her sharp gaze upon us, stopping at each of our faces. "I do not doubt you will aid the Lock and Key Guardians?" Vigorous nodding. "I thought so. Perhaps the Seiyo Academy Guardians could help?"

"But, they're so young!" Nagihiko protested. "Would they actually be any help?"

Agent Amakawa turned to him, and he quailed under her gaze. She watched him for a moment, eyes narrowing. "Perhaps. But were you all not their age when you fought with us, and won? Surely joined with a larger force, a demon is but a small matter?"

"...I guess we have work to do." Tadase looked around at us, then back at his aunt with obvious reluctance. "Anything else?"

"Hmm. That is all I know. But..." She produced a thick white card with silvery, almost indistinguishable simple script, handing it to Amu and turning away. "Feel free to call."

And with that, she had driven away into the evening light.

There was a long, undisturbed silence, and then Amu, who was slightly pale, spoke in a determined voice. "We'd better get going, then."

* * *

_"What?" The young guardians said in unison, all shocked._

_"You're serious?" Amu's little sister, Ami, demanded. "This weird thing going on in Osaka is really a demon?"_

_"And you're the Lock Guardian?" A tiny girl gaped._

_"And you didn't tell us you knew the truth?!" A tall boy demanded of Hikaru Ichinomiya, who nodded with an indifferent look. His sparkling guardian character, Kei, was smiling brightly as he chattered with his fellow characters._

_Amu, Tadase, Rima and the Fujisaki twins sat around the familiar white table under the gazebo in the Royal Garden, looking solemn. It was only a day after conversing with Agent Akira Amakawa and the bounty of knowledge both exciting and terrifying. The idea of supernatural beings plucked right out of a fantasy seemed surreal and strange, and though guardian characters alone was evidence enough to support this truth, it seemed less than likely to Amu at least that she could ever meet one that, say, could control an element at will. More disturbing was that they would have to use the Guardians' help to defeat the Demon of Hearts._

_The Queen, Mai Satou, was a tiny, delicate girl with feathery hair the shade of cinnamon in two long French braids, pale, translucent skin, and red-amber eyes matching a fierce, passionate personality. Her guardian character Tsukina had indigo hair, dressed simply in white with a laid-back, calming nature._

_The Ace, Makoto Shazuke, was a prim girl with straight golden hair that flowed just past her shoulders, had icy blue eyes and a polite, reserved aura about her. Two blonde guardian characters, one with calm, easy-tempered dress and demeanor named Arisu and the other with a neat, type-A appearance named Mari, sat bickering on her shoulders._

_The Jack, Ryuu Kitamura, was tall and quiet with a handsome, masculine appearance, rebellious tawny eyes and ruffled black hair. His guardian character Ai was a confident, outgoing and lovely svelte with a dark-eyed epicene beauty and long, raven-feather shining hair._

_"I'm in," Mai said without a pause, snatching a blueberry scone from a tray and taking a bite._

_"Hold on a moment," Ryuu argued. "None of us can character transform. Would we really be of much help?"_

_"You can change with my help," Amu offered nervously. Though her head was screaming that she shouldn't endanger them, her gut was stubborn. "I can change with the Humpty Lock, and Ikuto probably needs it, too..."_

_Makoto hmm-ed. "But what about if we get separated, or you lose the Lock? Will we still be able to transform?"_

_"Amu doesn't lose things," Ami said pointedly. "Least of all something so important as the Humpty Lock."_

_"Something tells me these guys don't get along as well as we did," Nagihiko murmured._

_"Then why don't we try?" Nadeshiko asked in a placating manner. "Rima and I were both able to transform without the help of the Lock; I'm sure you could be able to. Including the rest of us."_

_"You mean... practice transforming without it?" Amu said uncertainly. "I've always only been able to transform with it.. if I can't..."_

_"I'm sure you can," Ran assured her bearer._

_Miki agreed. "Of course! I mean, it kinda makes sense! And even if, I bet it just takes practice."_

_"So it's settled?" Hikaru said in a monotone voice. General assent. "Motion passed. When do you propose this practice time?"_

* * *

And so it was that after school, I was sweating heavily, having gone through multiple character transformation with Daichi, Rhythm, Temari, Kusukusu, and each one of Amu's guardian characters. According to Amu, being able to transform with multiple guardian characters was essential if something happened and I couldn't change with Daichi.

"Can I take a break?" I asked weakly. "I've been at this for an hour."

"Sorry," A sweat-covered Amu said apologetically, panting heavily. "Just one or two more, okay? Then you can go."

Rima and Utau, who had previously finished the possible transformations with each one of the (annoyingly cheerful and NOT exhausted) guardian characters, had decided to take a nap on the ground with their limbs splayed across the floor and snoring with gaping mouths.

"At least you only have a couple left," Yaya grumbled, wiping her brow. "I'm tired, and I've only gone through, like, two transformations."

"We can do them all," Nadeshiko had her hands on her knees. "If Amu, Rima and Utau can transform with every single guardian character in this room, we can, too, right? Amu?"

Amu, who was now dozing on the ground with Rima and Utau, started and nodded feebly. "Hmm."

Nagihiko, who was leaning back in his old Jack seat with his feet thrown up on the table and leaning heavily on the two back legs. "Yeah, you guys can do it."

"You're not even doing anything!" I crossed my arms. "You're just lounging around in a chair and watching us!"

"Tadase and I are helping the Guardians transform!" Nagihiko protested.

Utau scoffed. "You mean, Tadase's helping and you're 'supervising'."

"Exactly!" Nagihiko insisted. "I'm supervising!"

"Maybe we should call it a day," Amu mumbled. "How are the Guardians doing? Tadase?"

Tadase, who was, unlike the others, cheerful and pleasant, called, "So far Ami-chan, Mai-chan and Hikaru-kun have all successfully transformed, and Ryuu-kun and Makoto-chan have almost got it!"

"I'm Shining Voice!" Ami spun in a circle in a sparkling suit with a microphone in hand.

Mai, bedecked in sheer, flaming colors of scarlet, orange and gold, seemed to flicker as she danced gracefully around Ami in a circle. "Flaming Heart, Flaming Heart," She sang.

Ryuu grunted, brow furrowed in concentration. "I'm trying," He said helplessly. "I just..."

"Come on, you got this," Tadase urged. "I'm sure you'll get this!"

"I—I'm doing it!" Makoto said in amazement, and she laughed as, with a flash of light, she had transformed with her chara Arisu. "Chara-nari: C'est la vie!"

"Let me try!" Mari insisted.

Arisu giggled. "Okay!"

"Whaaa?!" Makoto waved her arms in an utterly bewildered fashion as, with yet another bright spark, she had transformed with Mari. "Chara-nari: C'est la guerre!"

"This is amazing! I feel like I can do anything!" I hear Mari's voice echo.

"Hey, hey, remember what Ami said about her sister Amu transforming with both of her characters at once?"

"Oh, yeah! Wanna try?"

"Wahhh!" Makoto wailed. "I'm being violated by my guardian characters!"

"That reminds me, Amu." I turned to her. "You were able to transform with all of your guardian characters before, right? Do you think you could do it again?"

"Maybe?" Amu mumbled. "I still can't get the hang of transforming without the Humpty Lock... and the only reason I transformed with all of them was because the Key unlocked the Lock..."

"We can try that another time," Nadeshiko said bracingly. "Right now, let's go home. And Amu, you need rest. That masquerade ball is in a couple of weeks, you Student Council guys could use some rest."

"Sometimes you're like a big sister," Amu mumbled. "And you're pretty good with kids."

Nadeshiko turned away for a moment. "Oh, you know. Just had a lot of kids where I used to live."

"Oh. Okay." Amu yawned, rolling over, and began to snore once more.

* * *

_Half an hour later, Nadeshiko, Rima, Nagihiko and Tadase were leaving the Royal Garden, Nagihiko and Rima in the lead and bickering fiercely. The sun was setting in the west, the dimming sun casting a light white glow that mingled with a deepening blue._

_"Well, they do still bicker a lot. But they're a lot closer now. They hang out more, definitely, not to mention he practically assaults her in public. But I guess they're never going to stop bickering, huh?" Nadeshiko chuckled._

_"They seem really happy together, even if they argue often." Tadase laughed lightly._

_Even with such light conversation, there was an obvious tinge of discomfort in the air. Ever since the night in California, things had definitely been awkward, but after the incident in the photo booth, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Tadase and Nadeshiko to look each other in the eye. So difficult, in fact, that a certain plan by certain guardian characters was effective as of that very moment._

_With a sudden slash, a ruffle of papers, and a crash, Nadeshiko's bag, which had been suspiciously fine up until that moment, ripped open from the bottom. Every paper flew out of the bag, landing in a crumpled heap on the ground._

_Nadeshiko cursed, dropping to her knees. "Ah, and I've only had it for a few months!" She began to sort through the papers and file them back into their respective folders._

_Immediately Tadase was kneeling beside her, rifling through the papers and sorting them with her. "Do you need..." The two looked up and met eyes. "...help?"_

_She swallowed hard, feeling heat tinge her cheeks and her heart expand for a moment, breath stuttering out of her throat as she lost all her air to some invisible force, and he had heard her gasp, hadn't he, this was bad, this was really bad, she shouldn't feel like this—_

_She took the papers from him, hesitating as her fingers brushed his, and stuffed her papers back into her bag with considerable force. He got to his feet, holding out a hand to help her, and she took it reluctantly. "Thanks," She mumbled._

_"...Nadeshiko..."_

_"Yeah?" She did her best (and failed) to sound light and unconcerned._

_"...At Obon..."_

_Her heart tightened painfully. "What about Obon?"_

_"...Um, what...the...the, um... the booth..."_

_"Yes?" She whispered, daring to hope._

_"...I, uh, I thought maybe...we, us, uh, um..."_

_"We what?"_

_"...Nadeshiko, I..." He turned towards her, and they stopped, including Nadeshiko's heart as he took her hand with both a terrified and determined look in his eyes. "I lo..."_

_And with that, Nagihiko had squeezed himself in between the two, throwing his arms around them both. "Hey, guys! How's it going?"_

_Tadase, whose face was turning bright red, opened his mouth in an embarrassed and indignant way, like a landed fish, glaring at his close friend in an 'I'm going to kill you know' sort of manner. Nadeshiko had a faint tinge in her cheeks, as well as a confused and disappointed expression, as if she'd hoped for something,reached for something she wasn't entirely secure about, and it had slipped right from her fingers._

_Nagihiko grinned. "Did I interrupt something?" He murmured to Tadase, glancing at his oblivious sister._

_"Yes," Tadase mumbled, too low for Nadeshiko to hear._

_"Good. That's what I meant to do."_

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	37. How Come Amu Gets a Sweet Party?

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

_**PLEASE DO NOT READ AHEAD! IT WILL SPOIL THIS CHAPTER FOR YOU, I PROMISE!**_

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Amu**

It was four a.m. in the morning, and I couldn't sleep.

For the past two weeks, I had several nights outside under the streetlights in Osaka, patrolling the sparsely populated sidewalks and past the tall buildings, searching for the monster that I was destined to battle. The sleepless nights had been hard, and yet I couldn't bring myself to sleep, no matter how I tried.

It was the fear, I guessed; the fear of this dark, evil thing that attacked innocent people, especially children. This thing that would drown you in acidic blood, with unimaginable speed and fury. The thing that, as some Guardian pulled straight out of a myth, I was supposed to battle alongside Ikuto, and win to save our city.

It felt as if the weight of the world had been placed upon my shoulders, and no one could be permitted to help me bear the weight. It was lonely, cold, and more than anything, I didn't want this. I didn't want to be the one to defeat this horrid monster, and I definitely didn't want to be some legendary protector that saved the world. I'd already done that once. But how could you escape from such a duty when you are the only one who can do so? So every night I lay awake, trying to sleep though terrifying images flashed through my mind and Fear clawed at my stomach, my heart, my throat, until I knew it was impossible.

I had tried my best during the few hours my friends and I could set aside to work with our allies. Done my best to transform with my guardian characters flawlessly, and try to do so without the help of the Lock. But try as I might, as desperately as I needed this, I couldn't. I told myself that of course I could; Rima, Nadeshiko and Utau had all been able to do so without the help of the Lock or the Key. What could I be missing?

I groaned quietly and rolled over, muffling my face in my pillow and trying to sleep. Something was tugging at me, like I had reached to grab something, a tiny slip that meant the difference between Life and Death. It seemed almost as if a tiny voice inside my head was whispering something important, something that was just within reach. And under the pure, chaste light of the moon, I fell into a restless, dreaming sleep.

_**Within the moon's high, the darkness shall rise...Prepare, Lock and Key, to meet your demise...**_

I woke in a cold sweat, panting slightly. The alarm clock was ringing, the shrill noise piercing my ears, and I slammed the snooze button, sighing in frustration. I felt like I'd caught just a little of it, and then with the stupid alarm clock it had slipped away again. But this time, I had a start.

As I dressed, I repeated the rhyme, knowing full well that whatever it meant, it was bound to be important. I grabbed my unfinished homework and stuffed it into my bag, tossing it over my shoulder and racing down the stairs, scarfing down my breakfast without another word and rushing into the early fall air.

Rima walked up to me, smiling weakly. "Hey Amu."

The second I hear my name, I felt myself freeze up. Without warning, my body was under lockdown mode; I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It was like I had lost control of my body, trapped inside my head as someone, something controlled my body.

"Something wrong, Amu?"

I felt my lips move, and heard my voice begin to chant. _"Within the moon's high, the darkness shall rise...Prepare, Lock and Key, to meet your demise..."_

"Amu?" Rima took a step forward, alarmed. "What's going on? What are you saying?"

I tried to stop it in fear, control my suddenly wild body, but they were utterly resistant, stubbornly still, and inside my mind I sobbed, trying to stop the madness. _"...Disaster will strike; the Curse shall prevail...And all Life shall end when two alone fail..."_

"What are you saying?" She was frightened. "Amu, what's going on? Are you okay?!"

"Hey, Rima." Nagihiko sauntered up to her, throwing a careless arm over her shoulder. "'Sup, Amu?...Amu?"

Nadeshiko appeared by his side, grumbling as she stuffed papers into her bag, carrying it strangely with her hands. "So my bag splits again, and you just keep walking? Thanks for helping me back there, brother dear. Hey, Rima, Amu."

_"...Against will and reason Death shall be undone...The demon of ink has only begun..."_

"Amu?" I heard Nadeshiko's voice, uncertain and worried, seeming to pierce through a veil, and suddenly I could move again, and I had collapsed, breathing hard with wide eyes.

"Amu!" Rima crouched down next to me. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"—I—I—" I took in a shuddering breath. "What just happened? I just..."

Nadeshiko fell to her knees beside me. "What the hell was that? You...It was like you..."

"I...lost...control." My voice broke on the last word, and I felt tears flowing down my face. "It was like someone was controlling me, and I was trapped."

"Oh, God. Do you think—?"

"I don't know," I said helplessly. "I don't feel any different now, just... scared. Confused..."

Nadeshiko thought for a moment. "Where are Ran, Miki, Su and Dia?"

"...I don't know." Sudden panic filled me. "Oh, God, I don't know!"

"Should we go look for them?" Nagihiko seemed concerned.

"Their eggs, where were their eggs?" Rima pressed me urgently. "If they weren't there..."

"I don't remember!" I wailed. "God, if something happened—"

"That won't happen," Nadeshiko insisted. "We'll find them."

"Y-Yeah," I looked up at her tremulously, then choked.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Where's... where's Azumi?" I whispered.

"Azumi? She was... here just a.. second ago..." A terrified look crossed her face, one that I knew had to be mirrored in my own.

Rima swore. "I sent Kusukusu to get my lunch that I'd left at home... what if—"

"Hello!" Nagihiko's characters called, floating over with strange, almost abnormal cheer. My guardian characters—no, everyone's guardian characters—were floating behind them with weird, dreamy looks on their faces.

"Hello, Amu," Ran said in a creepy, monotone voice. "Temari and Rhythm wanted to play."

"We hope we didn't worry you," Miki's expression was empty.

Su settled herself on my shoulder, floating there with not an ounce of her usual cheer, only a bland smile. "We're back."

"Hello, Amu," Dia repeated Ran's words, and though her voice was dull, her face was filled with warning.

"Thank goodness, they're all safe!" Nagihiko laughed. "And we were all so worried!"

I wanted to scream, wanted to shout that this was wrong, that these were not my guardian characters, because they couldn't be, and why was Nagihiko acting like everything was fine?

"Kusukusu?" Rima asked in a tiny voice.

Rima's bouncy guardian character blinked at her vapidly. "Yes, Rima?"

Nadeshiko reached a tentative finger to Azumi. "Azumi...?"

I couldn't see the little chara's face, but from the horrified, broken look on Nadeshiko's, I knew it had to be bad.

And with that, Tadase came hurtling towards us with a look of absolute terror on his face. "GUYS! GUYS, KISEKI IS—!" He skidded to a halt, immediately spotting his character among us. "Oh, thank goodness, Kiseki! I thought—"

"Hello, my king," Kiseki's eyes were dull, and I shuddered. The bossy, domineering character was like a lifeless parody of himself, an empty, emotionless doll. Even his annoying nature was preferable to this... grotesque, zombified state.

"See? Everything is fine." Nagihiko broke our silence of horror, smiling brightly, as if the wrongness of this didn't even occur to him, as if this strange evil did not even reach him.

* * *

_Rima sat in a ball on her bed, hunched away as she stared blankly through the window in the late morning. It had been over two weeks since Kusukusu had disappeared. Since her adorable, funny little friend had become empty and soulless, like she had been drained of all emotion. In the few weeks since the event, the ten had found it was impossible to undergo a character transformation. Not even a chara-change. They might as well have been carrying around dolls. And for the past two weeks, Rima had hoped, hoping with all her might that this was a dream, because that was the only explanation for this horror. Anything seemed better than this version of Kusukusu._

_And it didn't even truly make any sense, because wasn't any change in a guardian character affect the bearer? Why wasn't she dead to the world as well? Because truly, feeling nothing seemed a better way to deal with this pain, like whatever bond between the two had been severed, like Rima was a planet and her moon, her only moon, had been shattered, and she was completely, utterly alone as she hurtled through space._

_What had happened? In the short, fifteen-minute space of time since the last time she had seen the real Kusukusu, what on earth could have happened to change? She had left the house with a cheerful Kusukusu, and forgotten her lunch... and then she'd sent her back to get it after promising to get her candy... and the next time she'd seen her was with..._

_Rhythm and Temari._

_Rima closed her eyes. No. No, it couldn't be. If it was Nagihiko, if for whatever reason he had done it... then he would be different, wouldn't he? He would act differently. He would act like he was possessed._

_But he has been acting differently, a tiny voice in her head said. He's ruder, more forgetful, meaner, and he's a pervert. He's less forgiving when you two argue, and gets jealous easily. Nagihiko would never do that._

_But maybe that's just the way he is when he dates girls, Rima argued miserably. Neither idea was anything but gloomy and filled with despair. If he wasn't possessed, then that would mean that he would be a terrible boyfriend, a fake friend and probably both. And if he was possessed..._

_Wouldn't that mean that any ounce of romantic feelings would be a farce?_

_Rima buried her face in her pillow once more, hoping with all her might. But what she was hoping for, she no longer truly knew._

* * *

"Happy birthday!"

I nodded, staring blankly at the seventeen bright, flickering candles that stood at attention on the fluffy white cake topped with strawberries. My eyes fluttered shut, and I took a deep breath in, pausing, hesitating for a moment and making a wish, before releasing the pent-up air in a great gust that blew out all the candles.

"My little Amu's seventeen!" Papa sobbed, throwing his arms around me and sobbing into my neck.

I sweat-dropped. "Calm down, Papa."

"But it's such a big event!" Mama said excitedly. "And you get to celebrate it with all your family and friends!"

"Uhm..." I glanced around the living room, where literally all of my friends and family stood cramped. "This is a really good party, thanks so much," I said hurriedly.

"All right!" My sister managed to shove her way through the crowd and came flying out with a pop. "WHO WANTS CAKE?!" She yelled.

The crowd (well, kind of a mob, to be honest) cheered, and the huge sheet cake had begun slicing.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said hastily, and hurried upstairs, slamming the door to my room and rushing into my bathroom, locking the door with a sigh.

It was evening on the 20th, a day before my real birthday, and I was having a huge party to celebrate becoming seventeen. It was my last birthday before I graduated.

I knew I was being extremely antisocial. Very ungrateful, for that matter. I mean, all of my friends and family had all come to the birthday party my parents had planned for me, and even in the extremely crowded way they were stuck, most of them seemed really happy to be here. I was supposed to be opening the large amount of presents from them. I slid guiltily out of my bathroom and paused at the door to my room.

And yet... I glanced at the four eggs that rested on my nightstand, motionless and silent, and hid my face in my hands. They were so cold, so distant, and it hurt so badly. When her guardian characters had gone back into their eggs, even when Dia had abandoned her, it hadn't been so painful, because these guardian characters were wrong, they weren't mine, they weren't really my Ran, or my Miki, not my Su or my Dia.

But in this moment, it didn't matter. Not when I had to go back downstairs to join the crowd. "What could I do for them, anyways?" I said aloud.

"Talking to yourself again, are we, Amu-koi?"

I gasped and whirled around. There, leaning against my balcony door, was Ikuto, smiling at me. Beside him stood Utau, who was covering her mouth like she was trying to hold in her laughter.

"Sorry, we're a little late," Utau said brightly. "I'll admit it took me forever to find you the perfect gift, but inspiration just... well, appeared on my doorstep out of the blue."

I flung myself forward and attacked my boyfriend, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. "I missed you I missed you I missed you—"

"Wow, if I'd known I was going to get such an enthusiastic welcome, I would've come back ages ago," Ikuto laughed. "I missed you too, Amu-koi."

I addressed my best friend. "How did he get back? I thought the orchestra was staying for a month!"

"...Amu, it's been over nine weeks since I've been gone."

I frowned in confusion. "Really? That long? I guess I just lost track of time after..." My voice trailed off as I remembered exactly what Ikuto had returned home to. "Does he know?"

"Well, Amu..." Utau sighed. "When I said that he arrived on my doorstep, I mean that he arrived battered and bruised, breaking down my door and demanding to see me. And then attacking me and bombarding me with about a thousand questions about why... um, why he'd been ambushed by a bunch of people at the airport."

"Ambushed?!" My eyes widened. "Why would he be ambushed?!"

"That's something we need to talk about. Where are the others?" Utau asked. "I've got a hunch about what's going on, and it's not good." Her face was grim.

"They're downstairs. I'll go get them." I opened the door. "And... maybe it would be best if you guys came in through the front door."

"Oh, yeah. Haven't done that in so long," I heard my boyfriend say.

"Stop being a pervert and let's go."

* * *

_"Amu sure is taking a long time in the bathroom," Nagihiko glanced upstairs. "Maybe I should go check on her."_

_Rima stared at her boyfriend for a second. A strange tingle of doubt and jealousy tickled her chest, but she shoved it down, telling herself she was being stupid._

_"Ah, speak of the devil," Kairi said, as Amu came flying down the stairs, panting. "We saved you some cake, Amu."_

_"You're lucky I didn't eat it," Yaya said through a mouthful of cake. "This stuff is really good."_

_Through all their casual talk, Rima had noticed, each had reacted differently to the change in their guardian characters. Yaya was binge-eating, Kairi couldn't eat at all, Amu couldn't sleep, Kukai was aggressive... Rima herself often found herself silently crying with no idea that she had been doing so in the first place. Nadeshiko, however, was the worst; she hadn't spoken a single word since the event._

_Nagihiko continually insisted that he couldn't see anything wrong, using his own guardian characters as an example and convinced that everything was fine. His actions were drawing suspicion from the others, and, Rima admitted, even herself. The rest had even begun to avoid them, even Nadeshiko, who lived in the same house as her twin._

_"...to talk about. Upstairs," Amu was saying, ushering them in the direction of her staircase._

_"But we're partying here!" Nagihiko protested, lifting his punch and his cake. "I'm eating!"_

_"It's seriously important. I have to go talk to my parents. The rest of you, go upstairs, okay?"_

_In the tightly packed room, Rima heard the doorbell ring, and shoved herself through the bodies and reaching the door, opening it as far as she could. "Hey, Utau, you're here. Back already, Tsukiyomi?"_

_"I couldn't miss my girlfriend's birthday party, of course." The blue-haired man chuckled, though his eyes were scrunched in worry._

_"We have something to talk to talk to you guys about," Utau glanced around her and through the door. "We need to go upstairs." She paused. "All ten of us."_

_"...Yeah, Amu said. Come in."_

_"Where is she now?" Utau questioned, trying to see over the heads and failing._

_"She went to talk to her parents, wherever they are."_

_"'Kay. See you upstairs."_

_Rima nodded, then turned as the two disappeared into the crowd. She started in surprise. "Nagihiko? Why are you still down here?"_

_He shrugged. "Finishing my food. Why?"_

_"We have to go upstairs to Amu's room," Rima said in disbelief._

_"I'll go up when I'm done eating, keep your hair on," Nagihiko said dismissively._

_Rima stared at him, astonished. Did... he seriously just act as if she was his mother? She let out a choked laugh. Who the hell did he think he was? And why was he treating her like this?_

_But for the first time as Rima looked at him, she finally saw how wrong, how off his expression was. Gone was the calm, compassionate prince. There was no easy, harmless mischief in his eyes when his gaze fell upon his sister, no love as he looked upon her. His smile did not reach his eyes, which were cold and dark._

_Wait. Dark?_

_Nagihiko had amber eyes. Golden eyes like Amu's, like Yaya's and Nadeshiko's. This thing that was embodying Nagihiko, this was not him, because Nagihiko was gone._

_"You thing," She hissed in horror, stumbling away._

_He blinked, and took a step back, raising his hands defensively with a chuckled. "Whoa, there, Rima, back down. I was just joking, okay?"_

_"I—I need to go to the bathroom." Rima turn on her heels and rammed her way as hard as possible through the crowd, breathing hard. No, no, this couldn't be happening..._

_He was possessed. Nagihiko was possessed. The thought seemed to rip her mind from the inside._

_"Amu!" She called, trying not to scream. "Amu, where are you?!"_

_The pink-haired teen appeared in an instant. "Rima? Rima, why are you crying? What's wrong?" She looked concerned._

_"N-Nagihiko," Rima said helplessly. "He, he isn't—Nagihiko is—"_

_"He's possessed, that's what he is." Nadeshiko appeared behind Rima with Azumi floating by her side._

_"What?!" Amu grabbed Nadeshiko's shoulders. "Oh, my God!"_

_"How did you find out?" Rima asked her friend tremulously._

_"I guessed after the thing with our guardian characters." Her expression was both frightened and fierce. "Azumi told me that's what happened. She and Dia just managed to escape after his guardian characters managed to put the others under their control. Nagihiko's watching all of us." Her voice broke._

_"We need to get upstairs. Now!" Amu said urgently. "Hurry!"_

_In Amu's room, the rest except for Nagihiko were waiting. "Good, you guys are finally here," Utau said. "We—"_

_"Who has their guardian characters with them right now?" Nadeshiko shouted as Rima and Amu rushed around locking all the doors._

_Stunned silence, then: "...I have Kiseki in his egg in my pocket..."_

_"...I have Pepe..."_

_"...Musashi's in here..."_

_With that, the three frantic girls snatched the eggs: Amu's, Yaya's, Tadase's, Kairi's; and against the astounded and angry protests of their friends, locked them out on the balcony._

_"We don't have much time," Nadeshiko whispered quickly. "This is really important, nothing else matters right now."_

_"Nagihiko is possessed." Amu's hushed voice rang out through the room._

_"We just found out," Rima murmured. "The Dream Thief has possessed Nagihiko, his guardian characters have taken control over the rest of ours and—"_

_"And turned us into spies so he can watch us every second of the day," A tiny voice said. Dia popped up from her egg. "Azumi and I guessed this a while back," She explained. "We knew something was up, so we were secretly spying on Nagihiko and figured it out."_

_"How did you tell?" Utau questioned._

_"His eyes aren't the same color they used to be, the way he acts is different, and at night if you go into his room, you see him squirming and flailing about on his bed while he shouts and screams at something you can't see," Azumi said quietly._

_"I couldn't tell you because Rhythm and Temari are suspicious of me and have Ran, Miki and Su watching me at all times," Dia told Amu, who was fighting back tears._

_"Since I'm Nade's only guardian character and Rhythm and Temari are convinced they have control over me, I told Nadeshiko everything and warned her when she tried to go investigating."_

_"From what we can figure out, Nagihiko was possessed sometime before his and Nade's birthday. Since then, he's being used to spy on you guys."_

_"No," Utau breathed. "That means—"_

_"The Demon of Hearts knows everything we know. It knows about the Lock and Key Guardians, it knows what we're trying to do to stop it, and it knows everything about us."_

_And suddenly there were screams downstairs, a horrible discordance of terror and chaos. The nine froze. "Oh, no," Amu moaned. "Oh, no, oh, no... Please, no..."_

_Suddenly the noise stopped. There was a knock on the door, and Nagihiko's voice rang out from the other side. "Yo, I'm done eating. Let me in."_

_"Um—Just a minute!" Amu called, and hissed, terrified, "What do I do?!"_

_"He knows that we know," Dia said softly. "Don't let him in."_

_"I'm waiting," The violet-haired twin called in a sing-song voice. "Let me in!"_

_A black, smoky substance had begun to leak in from the crack between the floor and the bottom of the door, seeping into the room as the nine skittered back from the door. A disgusting stench of rot and death grew stronger and stronger._

_"We need to get out of here!" Azumi flew towards the balcony, and Amu unlocked the doors, throwing them open with a bang._

_"JUMP!"_

* * *

I leapt wildly off the balcony, waving my arms and legs as I plummeted to the ground like a stone and landing with stinging feet, stumbling forward with momentum. I glanced back at my house, through the open windows, and shuddered with horror and sorrow, seeing every single body lying motionless in a heap on the ground. From a distance I heard sobs rip from my throat, and I staggered backwards.

"Amu!" I gasped as Ikuto grabbed my hand. "Run!"

And with that, I sprinted as fast as I could, hearing the footsteps behind me, terrified to look back and see if it were friend or foe that pursued. The thick, sticky terror that had clung in the pit of my stomach, in my throat and my heart, for weeks, had swelled like some monstrous growth.

I heard a thump of noise in the distance, and Nagihiko called out from somewhere behind me playfully, "Where are you guys going! Come back!"

"Amu!" Dia cried from beside me.

I took a deep breath and gathered up all my courage, and nodded.

"My own heart... unlock!" I called, and was borne into the thrum and rush of pulsing golden energy. With a blinding array of diamonds and light, I had character-transformed. _Chara-nari: Amulet Diamond!_

I whirled around, and there were my friends, all sprinting towards me with looks of pure fear. Nadeshiko was sprinting headlong towards me. She yelled, "Azumi!" and dissolved in a rosy light; a blinding flash, and she was Heart's Desire.

"Why are you guys running from me?" The Nagihiko appeared out of nowhere, grinning malevolently. His eyes were flat black. "I only want to play."

"It's over, Demon," I told him, joining Nadeshiko and standing protectively in front of our friends.

"What's over, Amu?" He smiled innocently, but the curve did not reach his cold, empty eyes. "What are you doing?"

"You thing," Nadeshiko hissed. "Get OUT OF MY BROTHER!"

He cackled, and disappeared. I gasped, and the nine of us whirled around. "Where did he go?"

I froze as I felt a presence beside me. "You guys are so mean," His breath tickled my ear. "I just want to be friends."

Nadeshiko was there beside me in a flash, pushing him away from me, and with surprising strength she had shoved her twin to the ground. "Get out of him," She seethed, and he laughed. With a kick, he sent her flying, up, up, until she was impossibly high, a tiny figure in the clouds that began to fall.

"Nadeshiko!" I screamed as she plummeted towards the ground, flying up to catch her—

But she wasn't falling. Shimmering angel's wings with long, glimmering feathers had sprouted from her back, unfolding and spreading, and her descent slowed, lowered gracefully. The soft breeze picked up as she landed on the ground.

"Give me back my brother!" She yelled.

And suddenly the air seemed to erupt, shoving the rest of us to the ground, bolts of air swirling around our friend in a vortex and forcing Nagihiko against the ground preventing him from movement. She lifted her arms in an arc, and the winds howled, trapping her twin.

"Give him back to me!" Nadeshiko screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. "GIVE HIM _BACK!"_

And Nagihiko, whose clothes were ripping to shreds and hair fanning, twisting in a wild, violent dance, laughed with insane eyes, and the attack stopped, forcing an exhausted Nadeshiko to her knees.

The other eight sprinted towards her, Tadase in the lead, and I joined them. "Nadeshiko!"

Nagihiko got to his feet, no longer smiling. "I should've known," He mused. "How could I not have seen you were an elemental?"

The others murmured. "An elemental?" Yaya stared at her friend.

"Nadeshiko... You're supernatural?" I asked uncertainly.

"But what's this?" Nagihiko smiled. "You have not told your companions?"

"I—" Nadeshiko was at a loss for words, eyes passing over each of ours. "—I didn't—"

"She's lied to all of you all this time," Nagihiko said softly. "She used you all."

"No, she didn't!" Tadase stood, his hands balled into fists. "Shut up!"

Nagihiko gave him a terrible smile. "I see you lo—"

"I don't care what you see!" Tadase shouted. "Give us back our friend and _leave!"_

He began to laugh, a horrible sound that grew higher and higher into a shrill, mad cackled, and he disappeared once more, his insane laugh echoing all around us. He was everywhere.

"But I'm having so much fun," His voice echoed gleefully. "I love fun. Do you want to play with me?"

I trembled, shivers coursing down my spine as Nagihiko's voice was drowned out by another.

"Nagihiko," Rima stood, and as I turned to her, I felt him do so as well. "Nagihiko, are you in there?"

"Rima!" Nagihiko sang, and appeared at her side, pulling her close to him.

I saw tears spill down her cheeks. "Stop," She whispered. "Please stop."

Nagihiko chuckled, but now it was not him, the demon bleeding through his words. "You truly love me, don't you?"

"Please, stop," Rima's voice shook. "Stop!"

He smirked and buried his face in her neck. She closed her eyes, raising her trembling hands and winding them through his hair, crying silently. I sprinted forward, shouting, "HEY!"

He looked up at me, and his mouth curled up in a grotesque grin. Suddenly an invisible force hit me square in the chest, and I flew backwards, skidding across the ground. Immediately stinging pain flared up along my entire back. I cried out.

"Can't you see we're having a moment?" Nagihiko's grip on Rima tightened, and he pulled her face up to his, caressing her face with a hand. "I love you, Rima."

"Stop," She begged.

"But isn't that what you've always wanted to hear?" Suddenly Nagihiko smiled, and it was him again, smiling his calm, princely smile that sent a terrible pain into my heart. "I love you, Rima."

Rima was sobbing now, clutching the front of Nagihiko's shirt, staring at him pleadingly, desperately. "Nagihiko, please, I need the real you!"

Nagihiko smiled. "This is me," He murmured, and kissed her, and it was sweet, it was sickening and so wrong as he pressed his lips to hers, muffling her broken sobs and pulling her close in a nightmarish parody of love and romance.

"Stop."

Nagihiko lifted his head, releasing a shivering Rima from her kiss, and Nadeshiko, no longer in her character transformation, got to her feet, stepping towards him. "Nagihiko, stop."

"Stop what?" Nagihiko said innocently, pulling Rima closer to him.

"You took me in off the streets," Nadeshiko whispered.

"What did I do?" Nagihiko asked, and for the quickest, barest moment, I saw the real Nagihiko.

She took a step forward. "You gave me a home. You let me be your friend. You gave me food and clothes and a _family."_

"What nonsense are you speaking?" He spat, and I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

Another step. Closer now. "You trusted me. You knew I could've run away, you knew I was dangerous. You let me stay. You let me into your life without any questions asked, and you would do it again. You trust me with every bit of your soul."

"Stop it!" Nagihiko screamed, now terrified. _"STOP IT!"_

Nadeshiko's voice shook. She was not two feet from him. "You listened when I told you my deepest, darkest secrets. You comforted me every night when I woke up crying and stayed with me even after I had fallen asleep. You are the closest person I have ever known, _and you are the dearest to me."_

"NO!" Nagihiko shrieked.

"You will _always_ be there for me, and you know I would do the same for you." Nadeshiko paused for a moment, then took another step, and she whispered in his ear, "You are a Fujisaki. You love to dance. Your favorite color is blue. You are a friend of Amu, of Tadase, of Kukai and Yaya and Kairi, of Ikuto and Utau. You are in love with Rima Mashiro. You are my best friend. You are my brother, my twin. You are Nagihiko, my other half."

And Nagihiko blinked, and his eyes were amber again, his face filled with wonder and pain as he released Rima, who stumbled back. "Nadeshiko?" He whispered.

Nadeshiko took both his hands in hers, pressing their palms together. "You will always love me." She took in a quavering breath. "And I will always love you."

"Nadeshiko," Nagihiko breathed, and Nadeshiko closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply.

And she yelled, "Amu, now!"

Quick as light, I flew, shoving Nadeshiko out of the way. And I yelled, "Open Heart!"

Nagihiko screamed, and it was a terrible, terrifying, inhuman sound, one that screeched like metal on metal, and as white light flooded into Nagihiko, thick black shards erupted from his chest, rising towards the sky with a wail and disappearing into the night.

Nagihiko collapsed in a heap on the ground, and all nine of us rushed to his side immediately. "Nagihiko?" Rima choked, taking his face in her hands.

No answer. He was utterly still, with not an intake of breath or a rise of his chest. She placed a hand over his heart, and withdrew her hand, her face falling. "No," She whispered. "No, _no!"_

"Nagihiko," Nadeshiko murmured, tears spilling down her cheeks as she embraced her dead twin, shaking uncontrollably.

Rima sobbed, burying her face in his neck. "Please, Nagihiko, wake up! You're not gone, I know you're not, wake up! _Wake up!"_ Her cries rose to a wail, and we cried with her, lamenting. I felt Ikuto's arms around me and buried my face into his chest, weeping, and felt teardrops fall onto the top of my head.

"Nagihiko, please," Rima cupped his cheeks, resting her forehead on his. "Nagihiko, I love you."

Nothing.

Then Nadeshiko gasped, eyes widening as her ear, just over his heart, heard a tiny, faint beat, and with a tiny, hoarse hiss, he breathed, in, out, and his eyelids fluttered.

"Nagihiko?" Rima breathed, and he opened his eyes, blinking once, and it was him, those deep amber eyes were clear, true, _real..._

Nagihiko was back.

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	38. These Feathers Make Everything Hard!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven or Clair de Lune by Debussy.**

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**Nadeshiko**

"Damn," I cursed under my breath, tugging at my dress and wincing.

"Stop that," Baaya-san scolded. "A lady never uses expletives."

It had been over three weeks since Nagihiko had come back. Immediately after that night, we had taken him to the hospital, bringing Amu's party to a halt as my mother arrived with Auntie and my father came to drive him to the hospital. I had waited in the empty, silent waiting room with my head in my hands as doctors hurried past.

They said he was fine, but weak. If he hadn't been naturally a strong one, a fighter, they said, he would likely be dead. Of course, they had no idea what exactly had happened, but they knew his muscles had become strangely feeble, that he was curiously sensitive to all touch, and his constitution a bit more sickly. A few weeks and he would be right as rain.

Last week Nagihiko was allowed to go home, but he was under constant watch. Everyone in our family had rotated watching him in shifts. Last night it had been my turn, and I had stayed up all night, watching over him as he slept. He had gradually gotten better as the days passed. As of late, he was energized, ravenous, and insisted upon practicing his dance and playing basketball every few hours, or so I was told by Baaya-san.

I stared at myself in the mirror, pulling up my dress. It swept the floor with heavy gold tulle skirts and a stiff, fitted bodice made of ruched gold silk with a sweetheart neckline. Baaya-san handed me a silken violet scarf that she called a stole, tying it around my front, and then slapped my hands away from my hair and twisted it up into a bun, braiding some and looping it around the coil and inserting sparkling plum-blossom pins, handing me sparkling crystal chandelier earrings.

"You look very beautiful, Nadeshiko."

"I don't need to go," I said softly to Nagihiko, crossing the room and kneeling by his bed.

"Yes, you do," He insisted. "You look very beautiful. Just make sure no guy touches you, or I'll beat him up."

"Yeah, yeah. Geez, you're like my brother or something." I smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Nade, you look so pretty!" Azumi danced in circles around my head. "Like a real princess! Temari, Rhythm, Nade's a princess!"

Nagihiko's two guardian characters, who were constantly napping since their experience, rose their heads sleepily. "Hmm? Okay." Temari yawned and snuggled back into her egg.

"W-Well then, I guess it's time for me to go," I said nervously, snatching up the tiny purse I had and gripping it tightly, looking down at my slippered feet poking out from beneath the dress.

"Now, wait just a moment," Baaya-san took my usual ribbon from the counter and wound it into my hair, letting it dangle, and arranged a strange hat with flowers, gauze and feathers on it so it hid most my hair. "Now, what would the point of a mask be if everyone knows it's you?"

"Oh, yeah." I flushed. Because really, who else had mine and Nagihiko's purple hair?

"Just wear it to the dance and take it off once you get inside, where hopefully it will be too dark and too busy for anyone to notice your hair color."

In a stroke of wonderful timing, my ride honked noisily from outside. "My date is here. I guess I'll see you guys later." I stuffed my phone into the tiny purse, kissing Nagihiko and hugging Baaya-san once, and dashing out the door.

Amu, Yaya and Rima were waiting for me on the curb inside the car, smiling and waving me over.

"Hey, gorgeous, where you headed to?" Rima teased.

"Heh. Yeah." I faked a smile and changed the subject, getting into the car next to Rima and slamming the door as we drove away. "So, are we all ready?"

"Of course we all are, and Nade, you can't fool us, we all know something's wrong."

Curse my bad acting! "Fine, fine. Yeah, I'm a little under the weather. I'll be fine, you guys."

Amu, who was at the wheel, turned to Yaya. "You know, that's the same thing you said when you FINALLY realized your feelings for Kairi."

"Exactly! It's about Tadase, I'll bet you a million bucks."

"You kidding? I wouldn't waste that much money on something that's so obvious." Rima scoffed. "Now, what happened? And be honest, or we're probably just going to assume it's his fault and find him. And slam his face repeatedly into a wall."

"Wait a second..." Yaya stared at me. "I told her a couple days ago that she should just confess to him. Did you do it?!"

"No." Their faces fell. "It's not like it would matter, anyways. He doesn't like me the same way."

"What?" Amu frowned. "Are you sure? I mean..."

"I thought so, too. He's going with Saaya to the masquerade ball."

"Well, that doesn't really mean anything..." Rima said uncertainly. "Right? I mean, he could just be going to humor her..."

"He's been hanging with her every second of the day since she asked him to the dance."

"...Maybe he's trying to make you jealous?"

"That doesn't seem like a very nice thing to do~desu," Su commented.

"He's also convinced he made me mad somehow and keeps trying to—" My phone started ringing, and I pulled it out to see his name plastered on my screen. "Speak of the devil." I laughed humorlessly and hit ignore.

Amu looked at my phone. "That was him, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." I bit my lip hard. "I can't...I just can't be anywhere near him right now. I don't think I can handle it."

"Well, that settles it," Rima said. "I think I'm going to have a little _talk_ with my _dear_ friend Tadase."

"Rima is violent!" Kusukusu giggled.

"Please don't," I pleaded. "I don't...I seriously don't think he knows, and I want to keep it that way. I'll get better, I promise."

"No." Yaya shook her head. "I thought so, too, with me and Kairi. It's not. It's just going to hurt until you find someone else, and I don't think it's like that for you two. I seriously think you guys are perfect for each other. I don't think we can just let you go down without a fight."

"Pepe-tan agrees~dechu."

"Yeah! Come on, we'll totally help you find him and face the bastard." They grabbed my arms and began to drag me away.

"Wait!" I protested. "What about your jobs?" I begged. "Aren't your duties as Student Council members much more important?"

"NO. Now shut up, we're going to find out where he'll be and make you talk to him whether you like it or not," Rima said threateningly, giving me her trademark death look.

You know, for a girl who's like half my size, she's pretty damn scary.

As we drove up to the school, parking on the side of the road, I could see through the closed gates colored lights flickering where they held it inside the indoor gymnasium, yet I couldn't hear any music.

"All, right, all right!" Amu leapt out of the car, pulling on her long black gloves. She looked the part of a femme fatale in her long, black silk ball gown with its corset bodice and red lace running down the front, matching her familiar X-clips and Humpty Lock. "Omigosh, Nade, you look gorgeous!" She gushed, clapping her hands excitedly.

Rima stepped around the car, sizing me up. "Definitely. If I was into girls, you would be my eye candy." All her doll-like beauty seemed enhanced with her lace-covered powder blue dress and her curled ringlets. "Obviously, I'm not, since we're leaving early to take care of your brother, my boyfriend."

"I approve," Miki nodded, inspecting each of our outfits. "Very nice."

Yaya giggled and twirled me around in a circle, letting her flowing pink chiffon dress swish around her toes. She had somehow managed to look both babyish and drop-dead gorgeous in her floral dress. "You'll totes make him fall for you!"

I rubbed my arm self-consciously. "I don't know if I really want that...I mean, yeah, I do...like him, but I don't want to win his affections by the way I look."

"Hey, it'll be fine!" Amu tried to console me. "Now let's go inside!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ran cheered. "Do your best!"

As we approached the main entrance to the indoor gym, the music grew louder, but I couldn't recognize any of the songs. At the door stood two Student Council members surrounded by neatly placed masks on long tables.

"Hey, guys!" One of Amu's friends, a smiling girl with freckles and light brown hair, waved us in her direction. Even though for the first half of the night it seemed she would be at the ticket booth, she still glowed in her trim lemon-yellow dress. "It's good that you guys are here. Your tickets, please, and here are your masks!" She handed one each to us. Amu thanked her, and with that we entered through the white balloon archway into the gym.

Upon entering, I had a flashback to the night of the Halloween dance back in orphanage days, and knew immediately that this dance was nothing like that of regular high school dances. It was dimly lit, of course, but like most high schools, where the guys sat against the wall in normal clothes while trying to blend in with the wall and the girls tried to look sexy and alluring in dresses and club wear while in a tightly packed group, it was the image you would think when entering Cinderella's ballroom. Guys in tuxedos and girls in formal ball gowns waltzed in intricate patterns on the dance floor. The entire gym had magically been transformed into a makeshift ballroom, with disco balls in place of chandeliers, but there could be no mistaking the small set tables set off at the sides with white tablecloths and small paper centerpieces, nor the fancier-than-average foods in longer tables on the other side of the room. It was beautiful, and kinda scary. I mean, I knew Seiyo Academy was a richer school than most, but this to me seemed a little much.

My friends, however, didn't seem to think of any this extravagance strange; but then, they all lived in real _houses_ or _luxury apartments._ I was beginning to realize I had befriended the very people my old friends and I used to mock for their wealth. "I think I like your silver mask better," Rima told me, glancing indifferently at the handle-less iridescent silver mask that curved up with cat-eyes to from the shape a crescent moon she held in her hands. "Wanna trade?" I handed her the white mask decorated with glitter and gold sparkles by the stick handle and took hers instead, fixing it to my face.

Amu giggled, fixing her crookedly placed sleek and shiny black mask. Now she really did look dangerous. "Yaya, I think yours is upside-down."

Said girl huffed, poking at her mint green and white mask. "These stupid feathers make everything more difficult!"

"Why don't we help you find your sun, Miss Moon?" Rima linked an arm with mine, Yaya on my other side, and dragged me across the floor in search of my 'fated man'.

"Hey, look, is that Kairi?" I gestured to a masked guy who I'd noticed had Yaya's boyfriend's exact mannerisms, who was sitting to the side calmly sipping punch in a plastic cup. (Right, so they can make a gym look like a freaking grand ballroom, but they have plastic cups. Go figure.)

Yaya gasped. "Omigosh, I think it is!" She released my arm and dashed away towards the unknown person, who smiled at her and immediately pulled her on the dance floor.

"Yep, that's Kairi, all right." Rima shot me a look. "Do you want to find him or not? No, don't answer that. Just come on. Amu!"

"Right!" Amu then grabbed my hand, and they pulled me around the gym in a circle, peering over the crowd. "You know, I'm actually pretty glad I decided to wear high heels. I mean, yeah, they're pretty hard to dance in, but I don't feel that short anymore!"

"Easy for you to say," Rima mumbled, for though Amu was almost as tall as me now, Rima was still tiny. "And hey, what girl isn't wearing heels?"

"I'm not," I offered.

"Yeah, well, you're tall anyways," She grouched. "Let's go get some punch, we have a few hours, don't we?"

"Fine, but afterwards we're dancing!"

We passed by Yaya, who was being swung by her boyfriend (he really was, I'd seen the green hair and everything) in circles and laughing happily, and made our way to the refreshments. Amu plucked a strawberry from a dipping platter beside the chocolate fountain and stuck it in the warm drizzle, and Rima picked up an hors d'oeuvre and added it to her plate of appetizers.

"You should eat something," Amu suggested, pushing an apple tartlet that looked suspiciously like the kind Amu had suggested us to make in Home Economics that one time. "The food is really good."

"Hey!" A member of Student Council came rushing up and dragged her away, chattering about something of grave importance that had to do with a fire hazard.

"And...she's gone." Rima laughed. "I guess it's just you and—"

With that, another Student Council member came up and dragged her away as well, ignoring her protests that she wasn't actually a part of Student Council and they should find a real member to do their work.

I giggled, then took a bite out of the tartlet. I didn't think that I'd find anything to do at a dance, what with most of my friends busy running around to make sure the dance went smoothly and unlikely I'd find a dance partner, but that was before I'd known there was going to be a food table.

I was just about to take one of everything at the table when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I started, nearly dropping my tray, and turned to see a politely smiling boy in a navy tuxedo with his hands in his pockets. He wore a rich, simple gold half-mask covering up the top half of his face. "Hello, miss."

"Hi," I said, surprised. "Um...what's up?" I asked, trying to be nice, because really, who did he think he was?

"Nothing, really." He reached over and stole an hors d'oeuvre from my plate.

"Hey!" I protested. "What are you doing?"

"Taking food from your plate," He said blandly. "It's very good, too. I thought you looked like you wanted to dance." He offered me a hand. "May I ask for this one?"

"Um..." I stared at him, beginning to feel annoyed. "No, thanks."

"Hmm. You seem a little tense," He said, seeming strangely concerned for someone I didn't know. "Something wrong?"

I sighed impatiently. "Look, I don't know you, you don't know me. I don't know why you came over here, but I'm sure whatever you want from me, you could find it with a girl who's actually interested. Okay?"

He inclined his head. "I'm sorry," He said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I know it was rude of me to come over here and bother you...and also steal your food. I just wanted to talk to you, because it seemed like you wanted someone to talk to."

"I'm fine, thank you, but I'd rather be alone," I said pointedly.

"I get it. But just because you'd rather be alone, doesn't mean you should be. And it seems to me that you shouldn't really be alone right now."

I stared. "...Wow." I let out a laugh. "Okay. Seems pretty loaded. What do you mean, 'I shouldn't be alone'?"

"Well, for one, you're being very hostile to one that came over to be nice and friendly and ask if you were okay. Secondly, you're very obviously agitated, to many of the people on the dance floor, which is my reason for coming over in the first place. And lastly, I can tell that you don't really want to be here. Which leads into my real question, why are you here?"

"...I..."

"Now, I understand that you're not at your best, and you have made it quite clear you wish to be left alone. But if your purpose in coming here was not to dance or converse with the fellow ball-goers here, nor do any of your actions suggest that you wish to be where you are now..." He cocked his head. "Why are you here?"

I watched his face for a second, which was entirely calm, and sat down in a nearby chair, sighing. "Honestly? I don't know anymore. I just...it wasn't my intention to be here, no. I wasn't planning on it at all. I would say my friends dragged me here, but..." I gestured around me. "Ta-da! No friends around me. All busy." I put my head in my hands and blew my lips out. "This dance is nice, honestly, but I just can't see any fun in being here. I don't know how to dance, my friends are off doing who-knows-what for Student Council, I can't even go looking for my other friends because they're all wearing masks, and...yeah."

"Huh." He sat down beside me. "Well, it's about..." He checked his phone. "Halfway through the dance, which means that the unmasking is going to happen in about half an hour." He looked at me. "I don't think you should be alone for the unmasking, otherwise you'll be standing around alone while everyone else has their masks off. Care to dance?"

"Oh. Yeah, sure." I took his hand, and he led me out to the dance floor. "I don't really know how to do this," I said sheepishly.

"It's okay," He said easily. "Just take my hand, and put your other one on my shoulder. I'll show you what to do."

And with that, he placed his own hand on my waist, steering me across the dance floor gracefully. "Whoa!" I said, clinging tight to him.

He smiled. "Are you having fun?"

"Oh, very." I smiled back. "I didn't think I would be having so much fun at, well..."

"...A school dance?" He finished. "I understand. The past dances we've had had all been Halloween ones because that was kind of tradition for Seiyo, and we would've had another one, but someone mentioned masquerade, and everything went from there."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're a Student Council member?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm not any officer, but I do love being in it."

"A goody-two-shoes." I sniffed, suddenly feeling playful. "Well, for your information, mister, I am not in Student Council, and I am anything but a goody-two-shoes."

"Is that so?" He chuckled. "Well, I suppose that's all right." He sighed in a snobbish way. "At least you look very beautiful, miss...?"

"I don't think I can tell you that," I told him. "You see, I'm kind of in disguise right now."

"Really?" He stifled a grin. "May I ask why you are in disguise?"

"It's very important," I said seriously. I glanced around the rom furtively, then beckoned him closer and whispered in his ear, "This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm at a masquerade ball."

He burst out laughing then. "Well, I should tell you that I am undercover as well."

"Really?" I gasped; suddenly I was having way more fun than I ever thought I would, at a school dance at least. "Do tell!"

"I'm afraid that's classified information, miss," He said, glancing about the room and whispering, "I can't divulge such important information."

"Huh." I stared at him. "You know...you seem familiar. Kind of like I should know who you are."

"You think?" He frowned. "You know, you do, too. Are you sure you can't tell me your name?"

"No, but..." I paused, looking at him intently. An image flashed through my mind. "You seem like...a guy I know..."

"Is that a good thing?" He inquired.

"Sort of." I felt myself close off again. "Nobody important," I hinted,

Either he didn't get the hint, or he ignored it completely. "Sounds pretty important to me."

"Yeah, well..." I trailed off, looking away.

"I have someone like that," He said. "Would you like to hear about her?"

I shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Right. But if I tell you about her, then you tell me about this guy."

"Well, I don't have to hear about this girl..." I began, starting to feel annoyed once more. I looked at him, contemplating. I'd known this guy for what, fifteen minutes? Yeah, he seemed cool and all, and if we ever found out who the other was, I was sure we'd be friends, but swapping stories of something so personal seemed kind of...dicey. But then again, I'd only known Tadase for a few months, and already I was falling hard for the guy. Why not take a chance when I'd already done it so many times before? "...but I guess I wouldn't mind?" I said uncertainly.

"Then we have a deal."

"Fine. So this girl," I prompted. "What about her?"

"Well, she's an amazing individual," He said thoughtfully. "She's clever, smart, quick-witted, and very sly. She's gone through a lot of stuff and come out pretty battered, but she takes it all in stride. I mean, it hurts her, but she just keeps trying to move forward, you know?" His gaze seemed a million miles away. "She's beautiful, she's strong, she's smart, and her eyes are always just a little sad...the perfect girl, right?" He smiled in a melancholy way. "I really love her, you know. But sometimes I worry about her. She's healed from her past, but she's healed wrong. Like a broken bone that's healed crooked. She doesn't trust easily, she doesn't believe in love, or lasting happiness, and...I don't even think she truly trusts me."

I blinked. "What's wrong with that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said that it was sad that she didn't believe in love or happiness and she didn't trust easily, right? Why would that make you worry?"

"Because love and happiness do exist," He said matter-of-factly.

"No, they don't. Well, I mean, they sort of do. But isn't love supposed to be this perfect emotion that lasts forever? And happiness fleets, right? It never lasts forever. And trusting people is pretty hard after you figure out how few people are worthy of your trust, right? So aren't those ideas of hers pretty straight on?"

"Well, no." He looked at me. "I mean, love can last forever, right? And happiness, and you should be able to trust people. I'm saying it makes me worry that she doesn't have those beliefs."

"But think about it," I argued. "Love fleets; maybe it comes once, maybe twice, but it never lasts. Something happens, and it ends. Death, finding someone else, accidents, speaking up and confessing or keeping silent, rushing too fast, fear and hate and pain... it doesn't matter that you loved someone, doesn't matter how hard you work to keep love with you, because isn't it just going to leave you?"

"I guess, but—"

"And happiness is the same, right? Because when you find it, it lasts for some time, sure, but then stuff happens and it goes away. Something happens to chase away that happiness, and then you spend such a long time waiting for it to come back, searching for it even, but who says it ever will?"

"Well, maybe, but—"

"And trusting people. The people in this world, there are just so many bad people, so why would you try to trust them? They're just going to hurt you, in the end, and trusting just makes everything worse, because you get betrayed over and over, if you're hopeful that you'll find the few rare good people out there, but there are so few, why bother trusting if everyone is just going to dump you in the cold and leave you there without looking back?"

"Stop!" He interrupted. I closed my mouth, feeling ashamed that I'd said too much. "I agree, you know. Love doesn't last forever, and neither does happiness. It is hard to trust people, because so often people get stabbed in the back. I understand. But that's just it, isn't it? Love and happiness are so beautiful, so craved, but they aren't perfect. They're just the thing that every human needs to stay human, to stay alive and good and well. They balance out our very nature. And because sometimes they're so rare, so far away or distant, doesn't that make them all the more precious?

"And trust, that's another base need. You must have trust to have love, real love, and if you have real love, that means you also have happiness. You can't go through life not wanting to trust a soul. You can't want to be alone just because you think they're's no one to trust."

"But if it's so rare and precious, why bother looking for it? Who says love and happiness and trust are worth it, if it causes so much pain?"

"Can you honestly say that you would rather live your life in pain and sadness and loneliness, as an empty, hollowed shell, and never have experienced real love and true happiness and honest trust?" He said softly. "Yes, it's painful when they leave, sometimes a lot. You just have to be strong enough to withstand the storm if you want to see the rainbow."

"But there are so few people to trust," I insisted. "There are so many bad people in the world."

He thought for a moment. "Have you ever had that dream where you see one dangerous, venomous snake near you, and suddenly you can see them all around you, everywhere?" I nodded, surprised. "It's like that. You notice the snakes, which are bad. But think; if wickedness stands out more than good, then of course you would only see the snakes. Of course there is good, yes, you agree, right? It just seems like there is much less good than bad. But I think that if you really only see the bad and not the good, then you can't possibly be looking hard enough. There is always good; it is there to balance out the bad, and likewise. It's just harder to spot than you think."

It was silent for a time, as we swayed to **Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata**. Then I said, "Maybe you're right."

"Thanks." He smiled again. "You know, you never told me about this special guy of yours."

"Oh, yeah." I realized the promise I made was probably really stupid. "Um... so, he's a really good guy." I felt stupid, but pushed on. "He's really kind, and sweet, you know? He's got this amazing sense of the world around him, and, well..." I looked down. "All that stuff you said about love and happiness and trust...My guy, he's the kind of guy that just seems to love and trust indiscriminately. He's the kind of person you search for, but you never find. He's got this kind of innocence to him, and most people, it would just seem silly and childish and weird, but for him it just fits, you know? The way he just sees the world is so kind and understanding." I bowed my head, smiling in nostalgia.

"He's really passionate, too. His emotions and how he expresses them are so strong, like he knows how he feels and he's not ashamed to hide it. He's handsome and has this smile that just makes you want to trust him. He hasn't had an easy past, either, and he's had his troubles, but he's got so much love to give, and I just..." I laughed, remembering. "We haven't been on the best terms lately," I admitted. "And honestly, we haven't known each other long. And maybe this seems like something every teen says, but...I've felt that real, honest, true love before, and that happiness and trust that comes with it, and this is it, you know? I...I love him. And it just really hurts that he doesn't love me back."

All of a sudden, my partner stopped, right in the middle of the dance floor, causing a lot of bumping and several indignant "hey, buddy watch it!"'s from around us, and stared at me. "What did you just say?"

"W—Well, that I love this great guy, and he doesn't love me back," I stammered uncertainly.

"What's his name?" He whispered.

"Well, it's—hey, now, I mean, you didn't tell me the girl's name," I realized. "So, I don't think I should tell you his." I crossed my arms.

"Just say his name," He pleaded. "Please, and I'll tell you her name."

I sighed. "You better not tell anyone," I said reproachfully. "Especially not him." He nodded vigorously, and I took a deep breath, glancing around us, and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Tadase Hotori."

Immediately he grabbed me, pulling me close with his arms secured tightly around my waist. I spluttered, clutching at his chest.

"Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" I protested, feeling my cheeks heat.

"Tadase?" He breathed. I saw that his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were shining. "Tadase Hotori?"

"Y-Yeah." I frowned, watching him in shock. "Why, what's wrong?"

He didn't speak, but his grip on my waist tightened as he lifted a hand to my cheek and trailed reverent fingers down my skin. I felt my breath catch, and slapped myself internally for my hot cheeks and my short breath. I mean, who was this guy, anyways? I opened my mouth to dissent, looking him right in the eyes...

Violet eyes. No, red-violet eyes. Big and girlish, with long lashes. And his lips, I realized, soft like rose petals. I glanced up at his hair. Cornsilk blonde.

_No._

The **Moonlight Sonata** came to an end, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amu step on to the stage with a microphone. "Hey, everyone!" I could hear calls of pleasure and excitement. "So the first half is over! I hope you've all had some fun, right?" Shouts of agreement. "Well, the time has come! I ask you all to take off your masks and look around!"

Great rustle and movement, gasps of shock and surprise. I turned back to my partner, dreading what I knew would happen, but I couldn't move.

He could, however, and raised the hand he had caressed my cheek with. I closed my eyes, breath shuddering out of my throat as he lifted away my moon-mask, and it fell to the floor.

"Nadeshiko," He murmured.

I looked up at him with agonized eyes, and reached up to pull off his mask. He blinked, eyelashes fluttering as the sun-mask came away and fell from my trembling fingers as **Debussy's Clair de Lune** began, sweet piano swelling softly and floating in the air. "Tadase."

And I pulled out of his arms and ran away, mercifully unnoticed by the crowd, and pushed through the gym doors out into the cold moonlight.

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	39. Ikuto Sneaks Into the Dance!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! **

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

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**Nadeshiko**

"_Geez, what a night!"Amu huffed, striding across Seiyo's grounds towards the sound of Clair de Lune._

_For half the night, she had rushed around to help with Student Council and make sure the dance ran smoothly. From several younger delinquents standing next to a trash fire to refilling the punch bowls, she had not once found time to enjoy the dance as a student._

"_Well, at least I have the rest of the night with my friends..." She thought, then realized. "Wait a second..."_

_Of course, all three were nowhere in sight. A sudden flash of memory showed Yaya joining Kairi and Rima being dragged of by another member of Student Council. Nadeshiko was nowhere in sight. "No way..." Amu slumped. "You've gotta be kidding me."_

"_Aw, is my little Amu-koi all alone?" A familiar voice behind her sighed tragically._

"_Whaa—?! Ikuto!" Amu gasped. "What are you doing here? Go away!"Amu hissed, pushing her boyfriend frantically towards the door._

_Ikuto pouted. "How harsh. I only wanted one dance with my beautiful girlfriend."_

"_You're not even allowed in here!" Amu said furiously."How did you get in?!"_

"_I told the nice girl at the door I wanted to come in. Don't worry, I was very polite, I said please. And she let me in. You know, this punch is really tasty."_

"_Don't change the subject! Now you need to go, or you're gonna get in trouble!"_

"_Well, couldn't you spare one dance?" He said pleadingly, giving her the big puppy-dog eyes. Well, the kitty-cat eyes._

_Amu harrumphed. "Well, I guess it's just one dance...but then will you leave?"_

"_Cross my heart and hope to die." He grinned at her eye-roll, pulling her out to the dance floor. "Stick a needle in my eye."_

"_I never liked that phrase," Amu grumbled. "Sticking a needle in your eye seems a bit excessive."_

"_A bit, perhaps." Ikuto chuckled. "But then, it's a solemn promise within a solemn promise, right? You promise something, and promise to do another if you break it."_

"_But why would you promise something like that?" Amu wondered. "I mean, shouldn't you just keep your promises no matter what happens? Isn't that a given, keeping your promises?"_

"_It should be,"Ikuto said thoughtfully. "But then, when bad things happen if you keep that promise, shouldn't you break it?"_

"_I guess so." Amu hmm-ed. "You know what would be good? A different vow. Like instead of saying 'cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye', wouldn't it be better to say, 'This promise I'll defend, I will until the end'. Doesn't that make more sense? The end could mean anything. Something happens that makes breaking it a requirement. The end of the deal. Then wouldn't that be considered an end?"_

"_And it rhymes!" The two laughed. "Why you would teach a little kid about hoping to die if the break a promise seems to me that they're going about the wrong way to inspire loyalty."_

"_Amu!" Rima appeared. "Hey, have you seen Nadeshiko?"_

_Amu broke away from Ikuto and took her best friend's hand. "I'm sure she's all right. Maybe she found Tadase?"_

"_She won't answer her phone. Anyways, the dance will end in a bit, I'm trying to find her 'cause we're supposed to drive her home."_

_Amu frowned. "But...Nadeshiko always answers her phone. She always has it with her." Her eyes widened. "You don't think..."_

"_She's probably fine. I'll call Tadase, just in case she's with him." Rima hurried away, hiding her worry._

_The threat of the Dream Thief still lingered, and Amu pulled Ikuto away to find her other best friend, growing more frantic by the second._

* * *

"Nadeshiko!" I heard Tadase yell from behind me, the thump of footsteps coming closer and closer. I ran harder, ignoring the pain that shot through my heels.

It was like sinking into another nightmare, because that horrible shame, that wrong feeling that I should not feel for someone who did not love me back had surfaced, had come to light. Nothing mattered, only that I had to get away, to run as far and as fast as I could, escape from this sick reality, from the awful cries sent flying from my throat, from the tears that blurred my vision and the pain in my heart; it was all too much.

Deeper and deeper into the false forest I ran, through the trees where shadows laughed cruelly and the dim moonlight was harsh. The hindrances of long gold skirts that caught around my toes and nighttime darkness took away my usual speed and easy escape. I sprinted harder, trying to escape from the sound of him gaining on me, not knowing nor caring, as long as I escaped.

And suddenly a tall building rose into the sky, and in my shock I tripped over the dirty fabric of my beautiful gold dress, and gasped as I fell—

Warm hands had caught me around the waist, pulling me upright from behind, and I stumbled to my feet, breathing hard and grasping at his soft fingers. "You followed me," I panted, turning to face him. "You shouldn't have followed me."

"I had to." His voice was even through his heaving chest, his red-violet eyes boring into mine as he brushed the tears from my face. "What did you want me to do?"

"Leave me alone." My voice broke. "Just go away."

"No." He embraced me then, pulling me close and wrapping his arms, trapping me. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Please," I begged, feebly trying to push him away and inwardly screaming my fury at the loss of my breath, the balloon that expanded my chest almost to breaking point. "I don't want you here," I lied fiercely.

"Then say it again." He pressed his forehead against mine. "If you really want me to leave, then _look me in the eyes, and say that you don't want me."_

I lifted my head, staring into his eyes, opening my mouth and trying to force the lie out, but everything inside me screamed in protest, dragging back the harsh words and destroying them, protecting them from my wrath as I tried to rip them from my throat and hurl them in his face, to hurt him as much as possible and make him leave me alone to wallow in my pain and self-pity without ever looking back.

"I can't," I whispered.

"I know," He whispered back, and suddenly he was kissing me, pressing his soft lips firmly against mine, stealing my breath away and trapping me in his arms. It was a half-gasp, half-cry that fell from my lips in surprise, and I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him back as the balloon in my chest swelled almost to breaking point. I felt his mouth curve upwards in a smile, and he slid his hands through my hair, pulling out the sparkling pins so it cascaded down my shoulders in thick waves. It seemed that the two of us were pulled outside of time, standing in an abandoned place, far from the world. It felt so good being so close to him, so amazing to hold him tight and feel as if I never had to let go.

Finally I pulled away, staring at him, unable to say a single word. He pressed his forehead against mine, closing his eyes and breathing deeply with a beam spread wide across his pink cheeks. "You love me," He murmured, sounding awed. "You really love me?"

I let out a strange choked noise, still trying to grasp the situation, and he hugged me tight, burying his face in my hair. "You have no idea how happy you made me."

"...I don't understand," I said helplessly. "I thought...Amu...?"

He shook his head. "You know, when you first arrived, I was still hurting over Amu. I still loved her. I wasn't willing to see any other girl than Amu," Tadase reminisced. "She seemed to me to be the perfect girl: beautiful, strong, and so ready to help others. Like a princess from a fairy tale. I wished that I was in Ikuto's place, I regretted not continuing to fight for her even though I knew, deep down, that it was a losing battle. I loved her, and I still do.

"And you, you were so unlike her. You were hurting so much, I could see it. You aren't open, aren't friendly, and you don't trust people easily. There's a wall you've built between yourself and other people. You're still beautiful like Amu, still strong and willing to help others, but you're never thinking of yourself. You put others' needs in front of your own, and you forget about what you want in life. You don't hold yourself in high regard. You don't believe in true love or lasting happiness, and sometimes that makes me worry. I know you're capable of physically protecting yourself, what with your powers and all. But I can't let you protect yourself emotionally.

"Honestly?" He laughed softly. "I can't see myself loving anyone else but you. I still love Amu, yeah, but now I love her like she loves me. Like brother and sister. And maybe it's silly to say that I love you when I've known you for so short a time, but I feel like you really understand me more than everyone else, more than any of my other friends. It feels like you see past what everyone else sees, and I know you accept me for who I am. There is no 'me' that is more real than the one you know.

"And I'm seriously happy that you love me back. I never though I'd find someone to love like I did Amu, but I did. It's you. And I know I lost my chance to find love with Amu, but I don't regret that now, because I have you, and to me you're perfect, flaws and all."He smiled, cupping my face and gently brushing my lips with his, whispering, "I lost my chance for love once. I'm not going to let that happen again."

I looked at him, opening and closing my mouth, trying to come up with the words to say, but my mind seemed content, befuddled and sleepy.

"You look very beautiful, you know that?" He said softly.

I let out a weak chuckle, yawning widely. "I'm so tired," I mumbled. "Why am I so tired?"

And suddenly my feet didn't seem to touch the ground. The last thing I was conscious of was the squeak of two rusty old doors, the sudden vision of hundreds of stars in the sky, and I was gone.

* * *

_Tadase leaned back in his chair, watching the sky shift inside the old school observatory. The stars seemed to smile down on the two, before the heavens slowly morphed into the rosy glow of an early morning sunrise, soft, wispy clouds drifting overhead._

_Nadeshiko moaned, eyes still glued shut, and pawed drowsily at her mouth, snuggling into his shoulder and snoring like a freight train that hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two were having an epic fight to the death. With her face relaxed and almost happy, she was more at peace than she had been in a while. Tadase chuckled, pulling up the jacket that covered her top half and kissing her forehead._

"_I love you, Nadeshiko."_

_Suddenly his phone began buzzing, and Tadase picked it up quickly. "Hello?" He whispered._

"_Hey, Tadase." Rima sounded worried. "Are you with Nadeshiko right now?"_

"_Mm-hm." Tadase rested his head against Nadeshiko._

"_Why are you whispering?" Rima asked. "And where are you guys? The dance is almost over, Amu, Yaya and I were going to drive her home."_

"_We're in the obvservatory. She's kind of sleeping." Tadase said quietly. "And it's okay, I can drive her home instead if you'd like," He offered._

"_Really? Are you sure?" Rima sounded doubtful, adding for a second, "You know, you've kind of given her a lot of grief lately...have you guys made up?"_

"_Sort of." He paused. "Well, she told me she loved me."_

_There was a long string of curses, and suddenly Amu and Yaya were on the phone as well._

"_Omigosh! Really?" Amu whispered into the phone excitedly. "Seriously?"_

"_Never mind that, what did you say?" Yaya questioned._

_Rima's voice sounded in the background. "Hey! I wasn't done talking!"_

"_Well..." Tadase laughed nervously. "I kind of maybe kissed her?"_

"_What! Tell us everything!"_

_He hesitated. "I don't know if I should. Is it okay if I do?"_

"_Just give us the basics," Rima said impatiently. "Well?"_

"_Um...so I saw her standing by herself and guessed it was her...and we talked for a bit, and then went to dance...and she kind of didn't really know it was me, but she ended up telling me about, well, me...and she said she loved me. Well, she said she loved—"_

"_We get it," Rima interrupted._

_Yaya agreed impatiently."Yeah, what next?"_

"_Well, she kind of flipped out when she found out it was me, and ran off...and I followed her and calmed her down...and now we're in the observatory. And she's sleeping now."_

_Silence. Amu said hesitantly, "Oh. So...she knows you love her too?"_

"_Um, yes. So I guess you guys knew before?"_

"_Hell yeah, we did. I'm still not sure I forgive you for hurting her," Rima grumbled. "Why did you go with Yamabuki to the dance, anyways?"_

"_All her friends ditched her and told her they hated her and never wanted to see her again, so she asked me if I wanted to go as friends to carpool to the dance as part of Student Council."_

"_Seriously, they did? That sucks. And...you never thought to inform Nadeshiko of this? Never even thought to ask her as your real date?"_

"_I didn't know she loved me," Tadase said meekly. "I thought that she was mad at me for some other reason, and I was kind of scared to try asking her to the dance."_

"_Right." Even through the phone, Tadase could sense Rima rolling her eyes. "And I thought Amu was the oblivious one."_

_In the background, Amu made a noise of protest._ "_Hey! I am not oblivious!"_

"_Yes, you are, you had three guys after you at the same time in sixth grade alone and you would never have known had they not told you themselves. And hush, I'm talking." Over Amu's offended splutters, Rima asked, "So you're going to drive her home?"_

"_If you want," Tadase said helpfully._

"_Great! Okay, bye!" And they were gone._

_Tadase closed his phone, shaking his head fondly at three of his friends, and looked back at his one best friend, who was still snoring like a freight train that hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two were having an epic fight to the death. "I guess it's time for you to go home," He said, slightly regretfully, and slid his arms under her, picking her up like a bride and carrying her out the door, still sleeping peacefully under his jacket._

* * *

_Nagihiko, who had fallen asleep and was snuggling under several blankets and sheets, woke to the quiet sound of a car pulling up the drive to his house and the squeak of the big gate. As he sat up, rubbing his eyes, he heard the sound of a familiar voice speaking to his mother. Slipping out of bed, throwing on his robe and slippers, he opened his door, peeking his head out in curiosity to see, at the distant end o the hall, a figure in a tuxedo carrying his twin._

"_Hello?" Nagihiko called uncertainly, moving to meet the one who held his sleeping sister in his arms, to discover Tadase. "Hello, Tadase. May I ask why you are carrying my sister? I though Rima and Amu were taking her home...Come to think of it, why is she sleeping? And how on earth did you get the strength to carry her? She's way stronger than you."_

"_Hello, Nagihiko." Tadase seemed embarrassed. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up? Nadeshiko fell asleep, and I offered to take her home." He shifted her slightly, unconsciously cuddling her closer. Nadeshiko, who was still snoring like a freight train that hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two were having an epic fight to the death, yawned and released her hold on Tadase's neck, stretching slightly and blinking drowsily. "Nagihiko?" She mumbled, and began muttering indistinguishable things as the two boys entered her room and tucked her into bed._

"_It's all right, go back to sleep," Nagihiko said soothingly, and she nodded, yawning, and began to snore (like a freight train that hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two were having an epic fight to the death) again. Her twin smiled fondly and kissed her forehead, and her face relaxed._

_He straightened up, giving Tadase a stern look. "Why don't we go talk in my room?"_

_Once Nadeshiko's door had closed, Nagihiko led his close friend into his room, shutting his door as well and turning towards Tadase with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "So. What happened between you two?"_

_Tadase flushed. "How did you know?"_

"_Tadase, you've been my friend for years, and I know my sister just as well. Of course I knew something was up."_

"_Oh." The blonde looked down at his feet, seeming to shrink, and told him the story._

_After he ended, Nagihiko sighed. "I see. Well, it's not like it was a surprise, I could see it clearly enough. But you do realize that you've hurt her a lot in these past few weeks?"_

_Tadase drooped his head, mumbling, "Yes..."_

"_Now, I understand that hurting her was not your intention. I doubt you meant to. But if you ever hurt her again intentionally, I will slit your throat and your wrists so you bleed to death."_

"_I understand," Tadase nodded. "And I promise I'll do my best never to hurt her again."_

_Nagihiko chuckled, shaking his head. "I know you won't hurt her, on purpose at least." He moved to his door and gestured out, smiling pleasantly. "Just try not to hurt her again. And yes, I give you my blessing."_

"_Thank you," Tadase said gratefully. "But hey, how are you doing?" He asked, concerned._

_Nagihiko shrugged, though his eyes darkened. "All right," He said shortly, crossing his arms again. "A little roughed up, but I'll be fine." He turned away._

"_Just like Nadeshiko," Tadase mumbled._

"_Oh, really?" Nagihiko stepped closer to Tadase, smirking. "Wouldn't that mean that..." He pulled his hair back in a ponytail in one fluid movement and spoke in his twin's voice, stepping extremely close to him and giving him a sexy, feminine smirk, "...I can make you blush, too?"_

_Tadase flushed a deep red and backed out the door, looking absolutely terrified. "I—Ihavetogohomenowbye!" And he rushed away, red to the tips of his ears._

_Nagihiko held in a grin. "Someday that boy's gonna regret falling for a girl with a twin."_

* * *

I startled awake, feeling my heart race as I sat up, looking wildly around the room. A glance at my clock told me it was after midnight. I was still in my beautiful gold gown, but my hair fell past my shoulders in waves and my now worn shoes had been placed neatly by my door. As always the rush of the city did not reach my room, but Nagihiko's room was not silent.

I slid out of bed and stole across the wood floors, slipping out of my room and peeking hesitantly through my twin's door, which was strangely open just a crack. He lay there sleeping, a peaceful smile on his face, snoring like a freight train that hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two were having an epic fight to the death. I smiled and crossed the room, pulling his blanket up, and left.

I glided through the halls, running a hand along the walls and tracing the wallpaper, fixating my gaze on everything that I'd come to know.

So much had happened before, and so much after, that I'd spent many a night wishing that none of it had ever happened.

Before everything had happened, I had gone to a failing public school. They had always had a bad reputation, and maybe it was well-earned, what with the drugs and the gangs and the low academic scores...but we were a family there. It was a small school, the kind where everyone knows each other, maybe not well necessarily, but still enough to know who you were and what you reputation was. I was that loner girl who didn't really hang out with the other kids, that girl from the orphanage that others avoided except for maybe one or two of the other kids. I'd had exactly two friends, and while maybe it wasn't an entirely happy life, it wasn't bad either. You just had to keep you head down, especially if you were secretly a brainiac like me.

At the orphanage, I wasn't just another face. I was one of the delinquent children. It didn't matter how high my grades were, didn't matter that I avoided drugs and violence like the plague or that I was good to the other orphanage children. Not when the head of the orphanage, a widower who demanded we only call her Lady and follow her strict rules to the letter, believed I was unnatural. The way I understood it, as it was possible I was not actually an orphan, that I was a mistake, that my parents had abandoned me for a reason, an accusation grown only the more determined after she grew suspicious of my uncanny abilities she could never pin on me. And of course, my friends were other victims of her judgement. I had learned to keep my head down in school, sure, but at the orphanage, I was the vigilante that not a single crime could reveal me, nor a single child could catch my identity.

After my life had been destroyed, ripped from safety and well-being, I'd done my best to keep up my appearance and keep from being noticed, because it was without a doubt that after what happened, I'd be Suspect Numero Uno. I had left that part of the city and traveled on foot, making my way to the richer areas. I lived on the streets, making my living by stealing and living in the alleyways, working jobs by fooling the managers of my age. I'd stealen not only food, but clothes, too, making sure I looked as if I was nothing more than an older schoolgirl at times and a regular one at others, so that no one knew who I truly was nor my situation.

I'd made a couple of friends, sort of. You couldn't stay on the streets and not have someone to rely on. I'd befriended fellow vagrants and thieves, and they'd taken me in, pitying me when they learned my story. They taught me how to steal, how to do things in secret, get away and not get caught. And other things I'd picked up myself, from working at a martial arts studio or a gymnastics gym, or a maid at a cafe. Everything I had done, it was to help myself survive.

On the day that Nagihiko had found me, I been fired a week from my job as a janitor for an acting seminar, and I was running low on money. I had concentrated on the little money I carried with me, trying to keep a low profile, trying to ration my money and was heading off to clean my clothes and wash myself somewhere that I didn't see where I was going.

And then I'd run right into him.

By now I stood outside in the garden, sitting on my favorite bench in my claimed gazebo. Here was my own little secret haven, which wasn't really a secret, but it was my place to think and be by myself. Here, in this worn little structure under this roof, was where I had told Nagihiko everything, where I'd kept up my practice of my elemental art.

It seemed strange, now, to feel so pained over a boy I had known for so short a time. It felt strange to love him, and to have no questions about it. I had once worried over surviving, over staying away from drugs and keeping a low profile, mocking those who worried over such little things in life, ones that were rich enough and safe enough not to worry about those of us who hid in the slums. And in the blink of an eye, I was whisked away to that very world I had mocked, living safely (well, okay, ignoring the terrifying demon, but you know what I mean) in a mansion wearing nice clothes, going to a high-class private school, having friends that lived in houses or luxury apartments. I was friends with an international idol, twins with a dancing prodigy, people who could afford to spend money on clothes and snacks for leisure, who could spend pocket-money on ball gowns. If I had never known my closest friends, I would've laughed at them, scorned them for their money and laughed at everything I felt was silly enough. But now that I knew them, now that I had found good, honest people who were so accepting and kind, the thought of them being silly and shallow and spoiled felt laughable.

I wiggled my fingers, pushing a tiny, thin breeze away and watching the sky above me. _How strange,_ I thought. _I can't see the stars._

* * *

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	40. What Were You Two Doing In There?

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Utau**

On the night of October 31st, Ikuto, Kukai and I strode down the sidewalk towards the Fujisaki manor. It was brisk and chill outside, but people of all ages were still roaming around the streets. It had been over a month since the last attack on Osaka, and the population had decided to return to normal, believing their safety had been retrieved. People had begun to return to the city.

Of course, it hadn't, and the ten of us had spent many nights in the past month battling the demon's minions, never getting close enough to face the monster itself. Under the pretense that this was a Halloween costume party, the ten of us were attending a meeting to discuss the latest attacks, mostly concerning the demon's forces, which had grown to thousands upon thousands of possessed humans, among other things.

Because it was necessary to fool our parents, we had to of course pretend as if we were in costume. I wore a tan trench coat, sunglasses and devil horns to be a 'devil in disguise', Kukai was a werewolf, and Ikuto...

"Remind me again why you are a _bunny_ for Halloween?" I glanced at him.

"Because I wanted to be," Ikuto said innocently, toying with the fuzzy fake rabbit ears that also happened to be bright pink and dotted with hearts. Apparently he had taken the 'costume' thing to heart, because I doubted I would ever see him in a plain pink t-shirt, matching pink sweatpants, whiskers and a nose drawn on his face and a large cotton ball bunny-tail pinned over his butt.

Kukai, of course, was still laughing, taking a picture of my pink-ified bunny brother and posting it on Facebook. "Dude, you look ridiculous! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because I'm much more creative than you." Ikuto sniffed, crossing his arms. (Did I mention he was wearing pink mittens as well?) "Anyone could have come up with a werewolf." He gestured at my boyfriend's torn clothes and the fake werewolf fur poking out through the ripped fabric. "I even made this outfit myself, while you borrowed one of my sister's vests. At least she's something creative."

"Well, Kukai's secure enough to borrow something from Utau," Daichi said cheerfully.

"We're here," I said wearily, rolling my eyes at my two companions and motioning up at the gates to Fujisaki Manor.

"Hey, guys!" Yaya flounced up to us on the other side of the gate, a brightly colored unitard with swirls and fluffs, dressed like candy as she did every year but with a tiara added. "Nice costumes! Now what are you guys? OMIGOD, IKUTO!"

"Pepe-chan approves of Ikuto's costume~dechu."

"I'm a devil in disguise, Kukai's a werewolf, and..." I sighed. "Ikuto's a bunny."

"I love your costume!" Yaya squealed. "I'm a candy princess!"

"And I'm her knight in shining armor," Kairi said, coming up behind her in his medieval costume, drawing his hood back and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Her suitor, as well," Musashi added.

Yaya turned red and seemed unable to move, so we let ourselves in and followed them inside.

"Most of everyone is inside," Kairi said, motioning towards a room set off to the side.

"We're here," I said, and plopped down next to Amu, who was trying not to laugh as Ikuto sat down near her. She was a cat, dressed similarly as Ikuto but in black with cat parts instead of bunny parts. Nadeshiko huddled under a blanket, looking miserable and hiding away her costume, and Nagihiko, who wore a headband with a large letter C taped to the top ('under the C') was laughing at Ikuto's costume choice.

"You look so cute~desu!" Su told Ikuto.

"Bu—bunny!" Ran choked, rolling around in the air laughing hysterically.

"Nice costume, Rima," I told her, snickering.

"I lost a bet with Nagihiko, okay?" She grumbled, crossing her arms and hunching into a ball as if trying to hide her girlish tutu or her large butterfly wings.

"Rima is a fairy princess!" Kusukusu giggled.

"So, you're a gladiator," I told Tadase, who was attempting to hide beside Nadeshiko inside his fitted Greek armor and red cape, a fake sword laying nearby.

"Yes," He muttered.

Kiseki nodded. "A worthy disguise for a king."

"And you." I turned to Nadeshiko, who sat close beside him, crossing my arms and smirking. "What exactly are you trying to hide?" In one fluid motion, I yanked the blanket off her, and she yelped and stood to retrieve it. "Whoa!"

At this, Rima, Amu and Yaya were all laughing evilly. "We made her wear it," Amu told me, wiping away tears. "We stole all her clothes and just left her this."

"We did it mostly for Tadase," Rima mumbled in my ear, too low for anyone else to hear. "But also because it's freaking hilarious."

"I'm going to kill you guys someday," Nadeshiko growled, and flopped down on the couch.

She was dressed as a Sexy Witch, with a black tutu that hit above mid-thigh, thigh-high fish net stockings, a skin-tight black corset top with dark faience cobwebs, black mules with a little buckle. Her classic witch's hat had been cast off, lying with a slightly forlorn look on the other side of the room as if thrown there in disgust.

Azumi pouted. "I don't like Nade's costume. Where's the flowers and the pink?"

Rima muttered something about flowers into Nadeshiko's ear and snickered, not even protesting when Nadeshiko went so red it was worrying and punched her in the arm.

I glanced at Tadase, who was scarlet and desperately trying to avoid looking at her, and grinned. "Pretty sexy there. You have somewhere to be tonight?"

"I really hate you guys."

"At least you're not a fairy princess," Rima said consolingly, shooting her boyfriend a dirty look even as he smiled and kissed her cheek.

"What bet did you lose, anyway?" I asked her.

"It was whether or not Nadeshiko and Tadase would get together." Rima rolled her eyes. "I said they wouldn't, and he said would."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tadase glance in Nadeshiko's direction and then look away quickly, turning an even deeper red. "Why does it look like nothing changed?"

"Oh, it's changed." Amu giggled. "You should see them when Nadeshiko's not wearing a costume that belongs in the Playboy Mansion."

"So...when she's naked?" I burst out laughing at their shocked and embarrassed tomato faces. "God, it's so much fun to make you guys blush!"

"Anyways," Nadeshiko said pointedly as the blush faded from her cheeks, snatching the blanket and hiding her costume under it, "Back to what we were talking about before you guys showed up?"

"Right, right." Amu nodded. "We know for a fact that the demon's forces are growing daily. But the strange thing is that though we know its numbers are growing, we also know that its strength while attacking is not in full force."

I frowned. "Which means that it's holding back. But why?"

"It shouldn't have any reason to. We're nowhere near as strong as it. It would be so easy just to take us out and be done with it," Ikuto said grimly.

Rima spoke. "There's got to be something that's missing. Amakawa-san said that the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key are meant to help defend against situations like these...does that also mean that there's something about them that prevents from the demon attacking us?"

"Well, it attacked me, and then Nagihiko, and neither of us have the Lock or the Key," Yaya said. "But does that mean that it only protects the Lock and Key Guardians?"

"That makes sense, but none of the rest of us were attacked since," Kukai said slowly. "And nobody at Seiyo Academy has been attacked yet, right?"

"Maybe instead of just a shield limited to Amu and Ikuto, it's more an aura," I said thoughtfully. "So it radiates some protective shield."

"And since I'm in Student Council, I'm everywhere in the school," Amu realized.

"Which means that as long as you two are around, we have higher safety," Kairi said. "But you guys can't be everywhere."

"If the Lock and Key help protect people from the monster, do you think that there's something else that protects against it?" I wondered.

"Maybe. What exactly are the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key?" Amu took off the Lock, holding it up. It swayed and sparkled mysteriously in the warm light.

Ikuto produced the Key, lifting it up and inspecting it with interest. "What exactly about them makes them what they are?"

"Is it magic, maybe?" Rima suggested. "Because supernatural beings exist," She said, nodding at Nadeshiko, "So do you think they're magical objects?"

"But what kind?" Amu mused. "Since we don't really understand magic, there could be many branches, or just one. Another magical artifact could be all we need to help protect Osaka."

"Or a magical being," Nadeshiko murmured, toying with her hair ribbon. "Do you guys know?" She asked the guardian characters.

Dia bowed her head. "As guardian characters, we can see into the heart and decipher its whispering. But because we , like you, know so little about the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key, we can only guess."

"I didn't even know what they were or even knew they existed until everyone explained it to me," Azumi said.

"The most we can guess is that their power must come from their bearers," Kiseki told us.

"Amu has the four of us," Ran nodded to her fellows. "So she could bear the Lock because of the strength of her dreams, however vague, are still powerful, and so the Lock chose her."

"Ikuto only had Yoru," Miki crossed her arms. "And the Dumpty Key still chose him, so his dream must have been very strong."

A loud cacophony of crashes, squealing metal and what sounded like hundreds upon hundreds of footsteps brought us back to the world with a jump. "What was that?" Nagihiko was alarmed, moving to the window and peeking out the curtains. He leapt back, letting out a rapid string of curses I didn't think I'd ever heard him say before.

"What is it?" The rest of us crowded around the window, peeking through.

Being fairly late on a fall evening, it was already dark, enough to blot out everything but shadowed shapes and lights in the distance. But the lights of Fujisaki Manor were bright enough to catch the pitch black-eyed, sallow and emaciated horde of possessed humans that were pushing up against the gate, reaching their arms through and trying to force their way in. Not a single voice, ours nor the Possessed, spoke a single word; they simply pushed forward like zombies, blank and voiceless. There had to be a hundred of them at least.

"We have to get out of here!" Amu cried, terrified.

"To the back door!" Nagihiko called, and the ten of us stampeded out of the room, sprinting head-on through the house, Nagihiko in the lead as we made our way, minute by agonizing minute, to the back of the house, winding through the dark corridors, past room after room, in through a servant door and into the back kitchen.

"Wait!" The guardian characters cried. "Stop!"

"Do you feel that?" Dia asked Ran.

Ikuto squeezed through to the front, holding us off with his arms spread wide. "Listen." We froze, letting the silence swirl into fear. "It's too quiet." He tiptoed forward, making not a sound, and peeked out the door. I saw his lips form a curse, and he clicked the lock to the door before backing away and ushering us back the way we came. A glance behind over his shoulder revealed another hundred trying to push their way in from the gates behind the house. We were surrounded.

"What do we do now?" Yaya said frantically, clutching Kairi's hand tighter than a vise.

"There's not enough time to think," I glanced around. "Where do we go to think?"

"Could they have made it to the top floor of the house?" Rima asked Nagihiko nervously.

"We have to fight," Amu said fiercely. She was pale, but determined. "There's no other way out of this. I need to get to the top of the building to cleanse the souls."

A loud squeal, and all ten of us flinched. The lights flickered, and everything was swallowed up by darkness.

Nadeshiko swore like a dirty pirate and, after some fumbling, held up her phone, her face hard. "This is bad."

"How strong are the gates?" From the sound of it, Kukai didn't seem to really want to know the answer.

"Hopefully strong enough to get us to the rooftop," Nadeshiko told him tensely.

"Let's go." Ikuto's voice was hard. "I'll join you on the rooftop," He told Amu. "You might need me."

With those ominous words, the ten of us began our journey to the top of Fujisaki Manor. A few of us kept our phones held aloft, the bright screen weak beams of light in the darkness. A quarter of the way. None of us could see very far, which made the travel slow and tedious. In the fear that thrummed and pulsed within each of us, the dark seemed filled to its brim with evil creatures. A little closer. I found myself drawing closer to the tightly knit group, feeling vulnerable on the outside but unwilling to change positions like a coward. Halfway to the top.

A large, horrible squeal followed by a resounding crash and thumping footsteps made every one of us freeze in place. In the floors below us, heavy footfalls were growing louder and louder.

"Run!" Amu yelled, and with that it was chaos. From there, in a panic, I saw Amu vanish as phones clattered to the floor, saw Rima chasing after Nagihiko before he disappeared, Tadase sprint back the way we came with Nadeshiko yelling after him that he was going the wrong way, Kairi barreling down another hallway calling out for Yaya, and neither Kukai nor Ikuto was anywhere to be seen.

"No," I breathed, turning wildly and unsure of which way to go, entirely alone as the thunk of heavy, dragging footsteps drew closer...

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

_THUMP. THUMP. THUMP._

I couldn't breathe, couldn't move for the fear. Summoning every last drop of my failing courage, I stood and ran towards the thumping, to where I had last seen my brother and my boyfriend disappear into the arrival of monsters.

* * *

"_Where am I?" Amu thought aloud, turning in a circle. "Ran? Miki? Su? Dia?"_

"_All here," They chorused._

_She bit her lip, trying to quell the fear in her heart. She had never enjoyed frightening situations. "Where is everyone?"_

"_Where are we?" Ran wondered._

"_Aren't we going to the top~desu?" Su gestured to a staircase._

_Amu shook her head. "I have to find everyone else first, I—just to make sure they're safe—" And she motioned them along, turning away from the staircase._

_Miki, pausing just for a moment, drew a tiny red X at the bottom of the staircase._

"_Where did they go?" Amu muttered, trying to find her way back to where they had all split up, and choosing a hall, tread softly on the wood floors, looking around her._

_Then arms grabbed her from behind, muffling her screams and pulling her into darkness._

* * *

_Nagihiko stood on the roof, trying to think. In the chaos, he had tried to lead everyone up to the top, but now as he paced the rooftop alone, it was evident that the rest of the ten had not followed behind him as he thought. But wouldn't that mean they were still in the house._

"_I thought they were following us," Rhythm told Nagihiko._

_Temari growled. "I'll not have vermin in my house! We must go down and expel this pestilence!"_

_Deliberating, Nagihiko stepped to the edge of the building, peeking over the edge carefully. There was no mistaking the gates torn from their wall or the dusty footprints leading into the house, where he knew the door must be broken down. Which meant that the hundreds of Possessed were all inside his house. And so were his friends._

_Loud, screams sounded somewhere below him. Nagihiko cursed under his breath and, without hesitation, descended back into the maze._

* * *

_Rima slowed to a stop, collapsing to her knees, utterly lost. She had attempted to follow Nagihiko, but he was much faster than she, and soon she had fallen far behind in the darkness. Along the way she had dropped her phone; even Kusukusu had vanished. Now she sat there in the dark, afraid and alone._

"_Nagihiko?" She called, but there was no answer._

_A light appeared in the distance, coming closer and closer, and Rima stood, unsure of whether she should run towards it or away. "Hello?" She said uncertainly, stuck to the spot._

_And then the bearer of the light was upon her, and Rima cried out in pain._

* * *

"Calm down," I hissed to Amu, who was thrashing wildly in Kukai's arms. "It's us."

She went still. "Utau? Oh, thank goodness, you guys are safe," She threw her arms around each of us. "I was so worried!"

"Well, sort of," Kukai said, and flicking open his phone, he showed her several thin, shallow scratch marks on his arms. "We headed the wrong way towards the Possessed and ran right into them."

"Oh, my God," Amu breathed.

"Thanks to this guy here and his character transformation, we managed to get out alive." I clutched Kukai's other hand and kissed his cheek.

"How bad are you guys hurt?" Amu asked. Reluctantly I showed her the long scratches and the torn fabric on one of my sleeves. She gulped. "Ikuto?"

"I'm fine." He showed her fingernail-shaped cuts. "One of them had really long fingernails, that's all," He said comfortingly, kissing the top of her head when she shot him a worried look.

"What now?" I asked her. "Now that we're stuck in this house with no idea where the others are, what do we do?"

"I guess we just find them," Amu said, clearly wavering. "And then escape?"

"Wait a second," Kukai realized. "We weren't the only ones in the house, were we? Nagihiko and Nadeshiko have servants, and their mother and father..."

We stood together in horrified silence.

"Well, their parents are usually out," Amu seemed desperate for her statement to be true, continuing with, "And it's Halloween, so maybe the servants would be with their family? And..." She stopped. "And Baaya-san lives with them."

The four of us looked at each other obdurately, and without another word we left the dark room.

* * *

_Rima lay curled in a ball of the ground, shuddering horribly and clutching her head. "It hurts," She gasped, gritting her teeth as tears poured from her eyes._

"_I'm so sorry!" Baaya-san apologized again, wringing her hands. "I thought you were another one of those awful...zombies that came into the manor. I knew there had been trouble with humans sleepwalking before, but I had no idea...like this..."_

"_I don't know what's going on, either," Rima lied easily, wincing and getting to her feet, cradling the growing lump on her skull. "But we need to get somewhere safe. Obviously the downstairs floors aren't safe..." A thought occurred to her. "But surely the roof doesn't have the, um, zombies there?"_

"_There should be a stock of rope ladders for the family helicopter," Baaya-san said helpfully, still seeming a bit shaken. "A good idea, Mashiro-san. But," She thought, horror dawning on her face, "Our young master and lady's friends! What has become of them?"_

"_You should head up to the rooftop," Rima said stoutly. "I can find my friends."_

"_No." Baaya-san drew herself up to her full height, which though she was not necessarily tall, she was still strong for her age and healthy. "I will go with you, Mashiro-san."_

_Rima hesitated, but who said that Baaya-san wouldn't be helpful. "Of course," She nodded. "Then, let's go."_

* * *

_Nadeshiko turned the knob on a door slowly, carefully, and stepped silently inside. "Tadase?" She breathed, keeping her phone light pointed forward. She had heard footsteps come in this direction, too light to be a Possessed, and come to investigate. The silence of the room felt spooky and charged with energy, and Nadeshiko unconsciously lifted a hand to her ribbon, toying with it nervously. "Hello?"_

"_I don't think anyone's in here," Azumi whispered._

_She nodded and took a step forward, and another, making not even a shuffle on the hard wood floor, turning on the spot. In the claustrohpobic, crammed bathroom, even the shadows seemed a refuge for dark beings._

_Nadeshiko curled her ribbon around her finger, twitching her other hand and drawing the moving air around her in a makeshift breeze, swirling around her arms protectively, ready to be used as a dull weapon._

_Nadeshiko tensed. For some reason, she felt a strong sense that something—either a large something or very many somethings—were right outside her door. It was as if the presence radiated towards her, not like any of her regular five senses, but something she had felt quite often before, like an instinct. A sudden noise outside the room made her startle; she shifted her position, ready to attack, and opened the door._

_Nadeshiko gasped. There was Tadase, transformed as Platinum Royale, holding off silently shuffling Possessed, at least ten._

_Their faces were gaunt, with hollowed cheeks, sagging skin and puffy whiteless eyes with dark shadows beneath them. Their clothes were ragged, their shoes worn , knotted hair, emaciated bodies, and long, sharp yellow nails. But it was the thick, musky scent with a strange, hypnotic perfume that accompanied the neglected souls, like incense, and the black X-Eggs that bobbed above their heads that defied any natural human state._

"_Azumi!" Nadeshiko cried._

"_Hai!"_

_With a blinding flash of light and the feral shrieks of the Possessed, Nadeshiko had character transformed int Heart's Desire._

"_Nadeshiko!" Tadase yelled, clutching a long, thin saber in his grip._

_She did not answer, but cupped her hands in a ball, blowing into it. The air she blew into her palms began to glow as they hit her skin, swirling into a ball of milky light. She raised her hands, lifting them away, and cried, "White Euphoria!"_

_Immediately the ball shattered into glass-like, glowing shards of energy that hurtled through the air, forming into flaming balls of light that struck the Possessed square in the chest._

_It was a powerful silence as the Possessed, lifted off their feet and staring straight upwards, floating in the air like puppets, were engulfed in white light. Above each, the X-Eggs sparkled, clean once more, and the humans, exhausted and tortured, dropped in heaps on the ground, unmoving._

"_You did it," Tadase smiled weakly, breathing heavily with a hand behind his back._

"_You ran off in the wrong direction," Nadeshiko told him, surprised at the calmness in her own voice that so highly contrasted the swirling emotions inside her chest._

"_Yeah." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but failing when he winced. "I—I guess I'll have to work on my sense of direction, huh?"_

"_Come here," She said evenly, popping out of her transformation, "and show me your hand."_

"_It can be fixed. It's not that bad," He pleaded, changing back himself._

"_Don't. Lie. To me." Nadeshiko said through her teeth, and stalked forward. "Show me your hand, Tadase."_

_He bit his lip lifted his other hand off his wound. It was a long, shallow gash on his palm, blood seeping from the wound. It was a terrible sight to see, and Nadeshiko bit her lip to hold back the tears forming at her eyes._

"_It'll be fine," Tadase told her. "Just a scratch."_

_She took his hand and led him into the bathroom without another word, forcing him to stand still as she shut the door and began to dig through the cabinet._

_After a pause, she grabbed the gauze and a neatly folded washcloth, running it under the water. _

"_Hold still." She turned him around, her fingers skimming across his flesh as she pressed the washcloth to his palm. He groaned slightly, his fingers twitching. "It's okay, I'm just cleaning it." Silence as she gently cleaned his hand, her small, quick fingers running along his sensitive skin. When the blood had been soaked and washed away, she tossed the cloth in the sink and began to unroll the gauze._

_After snatching two dry cotton pads, Nadeshiko began to circle his hand slowly, wrapping it with the gauze. The unfamiliar quiet seemed different than it had been before; for some reason, she couldn't resist trailing her fingers along his skin, finding herself reveling in his suddenly uneven breathing and his eyes on her face._

"_Okay." She secured the gauze, and finally looked up to meet his eyes, and stopped. Their usual light, red-violet hue seemed to have darkened with something alien that made her heart pound in her chest and a warm feeling that began to pool in her stomach. "It's done." _

"_Thank you," He murmured. "But, your skirt."_

_She looked down."Oh, damn." Her skirt was covered in large bloodstains. "It's ruined." Deliberating, she slid off her skirt, ignoring her screaming inhibitions and Tadase's sudden intake of breath. "It's okay, I've got shorts on underneath, they at least left me those," Nadeshiko mumbled, referring to her mischievous female friends, and leaned over to pick her trashed skirt up._

"_I'll get it." Tadase kneeled, grabbing the skirt at her feet and tossing them in the trash can. For a long moment, he paused, staring at her legs._

_Nadeshiko heard her breath stutter. "Tadase?" _

_He lifted a hand, running his fingertips down her skin. "Do you want something to cover up?" He asked her, his voice husky and deep, and he seemed to lean in, his breath tickling her thighs. She felt her legs begin to shake slightly._

"_N—No," She whispered, pressing back against the sink counter._

_He was silent, and moved closer, pressing his lips against the skin of her thigh, right where her fish net stockings ended. "In case we have to run, you should probably take off those heels so you don't get injured," He spoke, and he slid his free hand down to her feet, pulling off her heels and stroking her feet. She shivered, watching him as he kissed her inner calf._

"_Tadase?"_

_He seemed entranced now, placing another kiss on her thigh, her hip, getting to his feet and tracing his hand up her body, her curves. Nadeshiko shuddered, breathing hard with half-lidded eyes as he trailed soft kisses up her neck and jawbone, capturing her lips with his. She gave a soft moan, pulling him closer by the front of his shirt, biting down gently on his lip, threading her fingers through his hair._

_It felt as if he were touching her skin, Nadeshiko thought dizzily, how the fabric of her costume felt so tight and so thin that he really touched her flesh. The idea was strange and warming as his uninjured hand, tracing circles on her back, flattened and pressed her closer to him._

_Nadeshiko shook herself and pulled away, and his lips moved to her throat again, making it nearly impossible to concentrate."Your hand—unnh..." She gasped as his warm tongue touched her skin, leaving a mark. "Tadase..."_

"_It's fine," He nuzzled her neck. "So soft," He murmured, kissing her passionately. "Your skin is so soft."_

"_The house," She said desperately, trying to clear her fuzzy mind. "The house, Tadase!"_

_He stopped and stared at her in confusion, breathing heavily. Realization flickered across his eyes. "Oh. _Oh."

_She nodded weakly, her chest rising and falling as her eyelashes fluttered. "You...baka," She managed._

_He flushed, letting go of her and stepping back hurriedly. "I didn't mean to...I mean, I..."_

_Nadeshiko regained her breath and looked at him. She smiled slightly. "It was...kind of, um, nice." She went pink, clearing her throat and looking away. "We should go find everyone else..."_

_The two swallowed, glancing once at each other in embarrassment. With that, Nadeshiko slipped out through the door, with Tadase following after her._

_It was only a few halls down that the two were attacked._

"_Oww! Yaya?! Kairi?!" Nadeshiko rubbed her head._

"_Oh, thank goodness," Yaya hugged the two of them tightly. "You guys are okay! Hey, where did your skirt go? Is that a hickey on your neck?...What exactly have you two been doing?"_

* * *

"Guys!" Rima, along with Baaya-san, raced towards us. "Thank goodness, we found you," She panted. "Are you guys all right?"

"We're fine," Amu said, immensely relieved, rushing forward to hug her. "You're okay, too?"

"Well..." Rima glanced at Baaya-san. "I might have a mild concussion, but other than that I'm good. I maybe accidentally got hit in the head with an old candle holder."

"Again, apologies," Baaya-san told her.

"Rima!" Nagihiko rushed towards her and hugged her tight. "Baaya-san!"

"Na—Nagihiko, you're smothering me," Rima said, her words muffled into his chest.

"Sorry!" He stepped back. "I'm so glad you both are all right!"

"Wait a moment." Rima looked at each and every one of us. "Where are Yaya and Kairi, and Tadase and Nadeshiko?"

We looked at each other. "We don't know. They could be anywhere."

"Maybe on the roof?" Rima asked. "Could they have found their way up there?"

"We could try it," I said doubtfully. "It's probably our best bet right now, we've been searching for almost an hour."

"I don't want to think about what it would mean if we can't find them," Amu whispered to herself. Then she straightened. "Yeah, we should check the roof."

"Then let's go." Nagihiko turned. "It should be this way."

We followed after him at a quick pace, footsteps clattering across the wood floor as we twisted through the house, making our way up one, two, three staircases, past windows that let light flood in, and then what could only be the final staircase. Slowly we ascended, step aftr step intermingling with the rest, and with the chill of a witching-hour breeze, we stood on the roof.

There were Yaya and Kairi, there were Nadeshiko and Tadase, but they were not alone. Each were transformed: Dear Baby, Samurai Soul, Platinum Royale, Heart's Desire. They stood back to back, with fierce expressions, yelling indistinguishable things.

Surrounding them were over twenty Possessed, the scent of old incense. For the first time that I had seen the Possessed, they were not silent, but feral hisses and shrieks poured from their throats as attack after attack hit their emaciated bodies, but still they advanced.

"Baaya-san!" Nagihiko cried out as the elderly woman fell unconscious on the ground, eyes rolling back into her head.

There was no hesitation. Amu had already leapt forward as Amulet Heart, Nagihiko as Beat Jumper, Clown Drop, Sky Jack. The assault had grown stronger.

"Inazuma Blade!" Kairi roared, jets of electricity shooting towards the Possessed.

Kukai spun in the air, calling, "Golden Victory Shoot!", sending golden energy straight at the emptied souls.

"Aim for the Eggs!" Nadeshiko yelled, throwing bright white flames straight at the eggs, which dodged her attempts to cleanse them.

Amu's Heart Rod popped into her grip. "Spiral Heart!"

"Holy Crown Special!"

"Amu, now!" Rima called, holding back the screeching Possessed with Juggling Party.

"Open—"

_Useless!_ The X-Eggs screamed, and the attack _broke, _shattering into glittering particles, dissolving into blackness that rained on our heads.

"No!" I yelled in shock. Because Agent Amakawa had said, we had seen it ourselves, the double attacks worked, and Amu and Ikuto were _here—_

"Juggling Party!" Rima yelled desperately, her attack intertwining with Yaya's Duckies. But the X-Eggs screamed again, and the pins and ducks melted down with a harsh squeal.

It was over then. With amazing speed, we had been grabbed, trapped in the deathly embrace of the Possessed. I kicked and screamed, squirming wildly as hands grabbed me from everywhere, keeping me trapped. From behind, I hear Yaya cry out in pain and Kairi yell in anger. Then we were still.

A metallic chuckle echoed in the silence, a voice that was everywhere and nowhere. _You have failed,_ voices whispered inside my mind. _You have all failed._

Against my will, I felt despair, drooping in hopelessness and drowning in sorrow, unable to stop the tears pouring down my face. The agonized, despairing cries around me proved everyone else had been likewise affected, but there was nothing we could do; my mind was going blank, as if some invisible force was erasing everything, and we were doomed...doomed...

"_No."_

In the depths of my desolate mind, I lifted my head, hearing Amu's and Ikuto's voice together, ringing through the silence as one.

"_No,"_ They repeated, and suddenly blinding white light erupted around us. The Possessed shrieked, and we fell to the ground, staring at the glowing outlines of Amu and Ikuto, stepping forward. They were no longer human bodies, but figures of pure, dazzling energy that stood together, unbending, back to back.

"_We will not bend,"_ They said, their voices no longer their own, but booming, resonating echoes mixed with the voice of thousands._ "We will not give up our dreams."_

The demon shrieked, a terrible scream, and it had vanished. Hope begun to fill my chest, burning away the darkness. I could see was the night sky, and the sight of cleansed Heart's Eggs filling the sky like diamonds, the motionless shapes of the human stirring slightly as Amu and Ikuto themselves dropped to the ground.

I shook myself and raced over to them, joined by our friends. "Oh, my God, oh, my God," I chanted. "What the hell just happened?"

Amu groaned and sat up. "I—I have no idea," She said helplessly. "I just—the Humpty Lock, it just started glowing, and the Dumpty Key, and I...I just blanked."

Ikuto yawned and sat up. "What happened? My Key was glowing, and then I passed out."

"You..." Rima gestured helplessly around us, where the once-Possessed were stirring slightly. "You cleansed everyone, I think."

Amu blinked and shook her head, still dazed. It seemed that the horrors of Halloween night were over.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	41. The Worst Birthday Ever?

**Hello, hello! It's Sylph Dancer! Another chapter, yay! This is my christmas present to all you guys! Here's another one where YOU SHOULD NOT SKIP AHEAD BECAUSE IT WILL RUIN THIS CHAPTER FOR YOU! Okay, Enjoy!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Kairi**

"_No!" I yelled, thrashing wildly, trying to rip myself out their grip._

"_Kairi!" Yaya screamed, reaching out to me desperately, her fingertips just brushing mine, but it was not enough, and she was dragged away sobbing, tossed into the back of the van. With a squeal and the scent of burning tires, she was gone._

* * *

_Three hours earlier..._

"Are you sure we're in the right area?" Yaya asked Amu anxiously, toying with her bow necklace. "We've been here for the past two hours, scoping out the area, and nothing has happened!"

"My artistic eyes have seen nothing out of the ordinary," Miki told us.

Around three o'clock on November 9th, the four of us sat in the park together, under the trees where the leaves were scattering across the ground, carried by the gentle breeze. It was a cloudy day, the late afternoon sun just poking its rays through the cracks in the thick grey sky. Just after one o'clock, Yaya and I, while walking home from a half-day at school, had gotten texts from Amu asking us to meet her and Ikuto at the old park. So now we sat together on a rickety park bench, keeping our eyes the unchanging scene around us.

"I'm sure," Amu insisted. "I know it's going to be here. This is where I was in the dream. And Amakawa-san told me that the involuntary reactions and the dreams I've been are important!"

"Especially since I had the same dream," Ikuto said grimly. "We have to be here."

"Well, the others should be coming soon," I checked my pocket-watch. "They did say in about half an hour, right?"

"Yeah, then we can take a break," Yaya said, sighing.

"You and Ikuto are working yourselves too hard. If you face the demon, you'll be too tired to fight. When was the last time you slept?" Musashi asked sternly.

Amu opened her mouth. Pepe floated around her head. "For more than half an hour~dechu?" She shut her mouth, looking embarrassed.

"You need to rest," Ran said helpfully. "You don't sleep enough!"

"But—"

"Sleep is good for you~desu," Su patted her head. "You should sleep."

"Yeah. Actually, I think we can handle it," I told the two comfortingly. "We've got this."

Amu hesitated. "Well..."

"They're right." Ikuto looked exhausted. "We need to rest, Amu."

"Fine, fine," Amu said, slightly unconvinced, but she didn't complain, and leaned her back on the bench, closing her eyes, Ikuto following. In mere seconds, they were asleep, but the lines of tension etched into their faces had not disappeared, and I knew that sleep would bring them little rest. I wondered with pity how difficult it would be to find out that you held the wieght of the world on your shoulders.

My phone buzzed quietly, and I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, so we're almost here, but we have a few problems," Rima told me. "Nagi and I, and Kukai and Utau and Tadase are here, but Nade's AWOL and no one knows where she is. All we have is this text saying that she has something she has to do, and she's sorry."

"Nadeshiko is worrying us," I heard Kusukusu say in the background.

"Yeah, I got the same thing," I told her. "What does it mean?"

"No one knows. Anyways, we're almost there, there's just a little more traffic than I thought there would be."

"Fine. See you here." I snapped my phone shut, feeling strangely nervous. By what, did Nadeshiko mean, when she said 'she was sorry'?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear the car pull up, only looking up as the car door slammed shut.

"Hey," Utau said, crossing her arms. "So, we're here."

"Amu and Ikuto are sleeping," Rima observed. "Well, at least they're resting. So, is it our turn?"

"Well..." I glanced at Amu and Ikuto's sleeping forms. "Yeah, pretty much."

"So no one has any idea where Nadeshiko is?" Yaya asked.

"No idea." Rima sighed. "She won't answer any of our calls. It's like she's disappeared off the face of the planet."

"I could go look fo her," Tadase suggested. "I mean, we already have most of us here, right?"

"I guess so..." Nagihiko said doubtfully. "But maybe you shouldn't go alone..."

"Nagihiko's been stressing out all day," Rhythm muttered in my ear.

Temari agreed. "Don't let him go, he's already a mess."

"You guys have no faith in me," Nagihiko mumbled.

"I can go with Tadase," I offered, and Yaya agreed. "We both can. Simple as that, and we'll be back in a flash."

With that silent agreement, the three of us, walked away, leaving our friends behind.

* * *

"_What do you think is so important about this place?" Rima wondered, blowing out her lips in boredom. "I mean, we've been here for almost an hour and nothing has happened."_

"_Well, Amu and Ikuto both had a dream about this place," Utau said thoughtfully, "There's got to be something that the Dream Thief wants here."_

"_Speaking of the Demon, what do you think it wants?" Nagihiko frowned. "I mean, Easter wanted the Embryo, right? There has to be a reason that the Demon of Hearts is here. I mean, it steals Heart's Eggs, right? But it could steal as many as it wants anywhere in Japan. But it only stays in Osaka, where it attacks only the people here."_

"_True," Kukai said. "I mean, why does it only stay here? It's got to have taken over almost half of Osaka now. How hard would it be for it to take the rest of us? It could just move on to another city, couldn't it? But it only focuses here."_

_Rima tapped her chin. "Can it not leave Osaka?"_

"_But Agent Amakawa said that it traveled around Japan, biding its time, and now for some reason it's back," Utau said._

"_So it's here for another reason. To destroy something, maybe?" Nagihiko asked._

_A horrible thought occurred to Utau. "The Lock and Key are what stops the Dream Thief, right?"_

"_So it would do anything to destroy them," Rima said in horror._

"_Oh, my God." Kukai ran his hands through his hair. "That's it, isn't it? It's come back to destroy the Lock and Key. And from there, if it does..."_

"_It can take over Japan," Nagihiko finished._

_Rima shook her head. "No. With nothing to stop it, the Dream Thief can take over the world."_

_The four looked at Amu and Ikuto, who were still in their disturbed slumber. "We need to wake them up."_

* * *

"It's been an hour, and we still haven't found her," Yaya said in worry as we headed back towards the park, which was just in sight. "Do you think..." She trailed off after she saw Tadase, who was trying to hide an expression of pure panic, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"No luck?" I asked sympathetically, and he shook his head. "It's all right, I'm sure we'll find her."

Yaya's phone began to ring, and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh, it's Amu. I'll put her on speaker. Hello?"

Rima's voice hissed through the phone in a frantic whisper. "I don't have a lot of time, so you have to listen close!" There was a loud crash, and a horribly familiar cry—Amu?—sounded through the phone. "They'll find me any minute. We've been attacked by a bunch of Possessed. They're trying to get the Lock and Key. I've got them right now in my hands right now, and I'm hiding them by the the old swing set. You need to get back here as fast as you can so you can get them. I—" A clatter, a scream, and a crushing sound, and then she was gone.

"We need to get back there NOW!" Yaya cried, and the three of us ran as fast as we could, through the trees and crossing the paths back to the other side of the park.

Bursting through the trees, we were only in time to see a black van drive away, and witness at least fifty Possessed turn to us with blank faces.

It was seconds before they were upon us, and Musashi was ripped from my side. "Kairi!" He shouted.

"Musashi!" I fought towards him, but was yanked backwards.

"Kiseki!" I heard Tadase cry.

"Pepe!" Yaya threw herself to save her terrified guardian character, and was tackled by a huge Possessed, forcing her back.

"No!" I yelled, thrashing wildly, trying to rip myself out their grip.

"Kairi!" Yaya screamed, reaching out to me desperately, her fingertips just brushing mine, but it was not enough, and she was dragged away sobbing, tossed into the back of the van. With a squeal and the scent of burning tires, she was gone.

Then I was pulled into the back of another truck. A loud _thump,_ agonizing pain in my head, and I saw blackness.

* * *

_She stood in front of the ruins, her trembling hands reaching out to the rusty gate, running her fingers over the familiarity. Everything inside her screamed at her to stop, to run away and never look back. But this was something she could no longer run from. It was time for her to face what she had done, alone._

_Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she pushed open the gate, and it squealed, swinging open slowly. She stepped onto the hard, frozen ground, moving past the empty, crooked trees with their branches like lacework, falling to her knees in the empty space. The wind that hit her face was so cold, chilling her to the bone and freezing the silent tears that streamed down her face._

_Nadeshiko fell to her knees, and immediately she was swept away into old memories where she crouched, in the ruins of the orphanage._

_She is standing in her bedroom with her back pressed against the wall, an expression of absolute terror in her heart. It is long after midnight, and Lady is in her room. Her eyes, normally an icy blue, are black as pitch, as they have been for months, and Nadeshiko knows that tonight she will suffer._

_It had started earlier in the fall, after Nadeshiko had found that strange little necklace, the curious stone that was smooth like that from a river, and had brought it home. Immediately Lady had found it on her and confiscated it, calling it a 'useles piece of junk that had the luck to be pretty'. And that night, after passing Lady's room to steal food from the kitchen to give to a child that had not eaten dinner that night, she had her strange whispers that seemed to follow her through the halls._

_Since then, Lady's eyes were black, her harsh beauty sagging into that of a much older woman. And every night for the past two months, she had come into Nadeshiko's room, standing over her, silent and smiling in a creepy way as she pretended to sleep. Nadeshiko had refused to tell Hisashi why she had dark shadows under her eyes, why she seemed so jumpy, and demanding to practice her skill with the wind every day._

_But tonight, this night, is different. As the house is silent, for it is witching-hour, Lady stands in front of her, a matchbox clutched in her bony hands, her teeth now yellow and crooked. She lifts a thin finger to her wide, smiling mouth, shushing her silently, and lifts a single match from the box. Nadeshiko watches in horror as she strikes the box, catching the match aflame, and drops it at her feet._

_Nadeshiko leaps back, gasping, and twitches her hands, ripping the air from around the flames now licking her bed and forces the fire out._

"_Naughty, naughty," Lady calls in a sing-song voice, and she disappears, cackling in her ears. Nadeshiko sobs in fear, sinking down against the wall as tears pour down her cheeks. It seems that she has snapped, has broken through the fragile walls of her sanity,as the wicked laughter fills her ears and paralyzes her. She buries her face in her hands, cowering on the floor._

"_Go away, go away," Nadeshiko whimpers, rocking back and forth. "Go away!"_

"_You need to be punished," Lady's voice croons, and slowly the box of matches, which has fallen to the floor, slides across the ground towards her._

_Nadeshiko shrieks, and shoves it away from her, wind howling in her ears, and the box flies to the door, where it comes to a stop._

"_You will burn," Lady hisses, and suddenly not only the box is aflame, but so is her room,everything awash in red and orange and gold, fire licking at her toes. Nadeshiko screams, instinctively pushing wind at the heat, but the flames only grow, higher and higher. She is trapped._

_In the distance, screams find their way to Nadeshiko's ears. They are that of children, innocent children who will die. And she knows then that she will cannot let this happen, even as Lady's cackles still ring in her ears._

_She stands and, gathering the final drops of her courage, her sanity, she engulfs herself in cool wind, fleeing through the door._

_The house is burning, swallowed by fire that has grown too quickly, and she holds in a sob. Everything she knows is dying. She bursts through the room beside hers, trying to focus her roiling emotions, her mad thoughts dashing chaotically about her head. It is Hisashi's room._

_The boy she loves lies upon the floor, but he does not burn, no. He lies in the flames upon his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Nadeshiko remembers his lungs, his sickly composition, and she knows the fumes are killing him._

"_Hisashi!" She whispers, flying to his bedside and grabbing him._

_He seemed to see her through a haze, his eyes unfocused. "You have to use it," He breathes hoarsely. "The air..."_

_She knows what he means, but she knows she cannot, knows what it would mean if she did. "I can't," She shook her head frantically. "I need to get you out of here, I need to get everyone out, I need to..."_

_He grasps her hand, and he is so weak, that in that moment Nadeshiko knows there is nothing, nothing she can do to save him. Even now, the light is dying from his eyes._

_A hand caressed her cheek softly. "Go now…"_

_Voices began creeping through the darkness under the star-lit sky. Heat poured into her bones, into her head. The air grew thicker and thicker, and she coughed the musky air from her lungs, stumbling through the white that collapsed around her._

"_No," She choked, but it is too late, the ragged breaths he takes her slowing._

"_I love you," His voice is scratchy and dies. His eyes fixate upon hers, and his mouth curves up into the same crooked smile, and he is gone._

"_Hisashi?" Her voice quivers, and she begins to cry harder, pressing her forehead against his and sobbing, shoulder shaking in her agony._

_But the flames still roar around her, still calling their death-knell, and there is no time to mourn. So she stands, closing her eyes and forcing herself to concentrate, and slowly, ever so slowly, pushes the palms of her hands outward. Slowly her arms begin to shake as the flames, with no oxygen, die down, too slowly, dwindling into ash, into fumes and burning. She cannot breath, for there is no oxygen, her lungs screaming in protest. She has pushed all the air away, the weight straining her to the point that she falls to her knees, holding up the weight of the sky on her shoulders._

_At last she can hold it in no longer, and she collapses on the ground, gasping in huge swallows of air, exhausted. It is so she must get up, she must, sh has to get out of the house. And so she stands once more, stumbling out the door, dizzy and disoriented. The house is empty, eerily silent as she makes her way through the quiet corridors and pushes out the back door, hanging on its hinges._

_At the front, a small gather of children waits anxiously for the rest to come out, for the final two to make their way out of the doors. Lady's body has been covered in a white sheet, hidden from their view, and as Hisashi's body is carried out by the firemen, their voices raise to a wail, their unanimous lament rising over the smoky autumn sky. Nadeshiko bites her lip, holding back tears, and sprints away into the night, under the light of the sorrowful moon._

_It is exactly one year later, on the anniversary of the orphanage fire, that the same violet-haired girl stands in the ashes, tears streaming down her cool cheeks as they did so long ago, in the empty ruins of her past. It is exactly one year later that she has come here to let go of the past and step into the pain and the blinding sadness of these memories has brought her to her knees too long. It is time for her to move on._

"_You must let go," Azumi told her quietly._

"_I must let go," She repeated the words, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes tightly. The pain squeezed her throat to the point it felt impossible to breathe, blotting out the air and pressing the weight of the world on her fragile shoulders to the point of collapse. Through the blinding pain, the agony and the guilt, every awful thought that that had entered her mind since the tragedy seemed to weigh on her, straining her mind almost to breaking point. But even through her agony, the torture she had dealt with every second of every day her life for almost a year, the burden she bore seemed to lessen just enough for her to stand. With that, she turned and left._

_It was a half an hour later that she was racing to an old park, listening to the worried messages of her friends and cursing under her breath. She had taken much longer than she had originally planned, but there was nothing she could do now. Jogging towards the benches, she stopped. There was no one there. Quickly dialing Nagihiko's phone number, she listened. And froze._

_The sound of a ringtone was coming from under the bench, and with trembling hands, Nadeshiko knelt, picking up her twin's phone to see her face on its screen. Putting a hand to her mouth, she began to search for evidence, for a clue as to what on earth could have happened, dashing through the trees, inspecting the ground, which had rubber-tire marks, Amu's purse, which lay looking forlorn on the broken bench, the nearby swingset._

_Nadeshiko held back her tears, biting her lip hard. She had to do something, anything, on the slight chance her friends were not beyond her reach. A memory itched at the back of her mind. Grabbing Amu's purse, she dug through it frantically, and pulled out a stiff white card with silvery writing, dialing the number with shaky hands._

"_Easter Corporation, this is Akira Amakawa, how may I help you?"_

"_Hello? This is Nadeshiko Fujisaki. My friends have been captured." Her voice broke, and she collected herself. "I think the Dream Thief has them."_

_A pause. Then: "Stay where you are. I'm coming with help." The dial tone buzzed in her ear._

_Nadeshiko shut the phone, trembling. "Azumi, we have to stay here." Silence. "Azumi?"_

_She turned to see her struggling guardian character clutched in the hands of one out of twenty Possessed. Gasping in shock, she fell backwards, but it was too late. They grabbed her, dragging her across the ground, ignorant to her hollers as they tossed her in the back of another black van and drove away._

* * *

I blinked, groaning as the large lump on my head throbbed painfully, trying to sit up and look around. My wrists and legs had been tied.

I was in a large dark room, with a single ray of evening light filtering in through a pitifully small window. The ground was hard and creaked beneath me. I squinted, making out several figures. "Hello?"

"Kairi?" Amu's voice pierced the silence in a whisper. "You're awake?"

"Yes." I struggled to move. "Where are we?"

"No idea." Ikuto's voice rang out. "We could be anywhere. But from the looks of it, we're in a warehouse."

"We were kidnapped." I laughed without humor. "Who else is here?"

Amu's voice, weary and pained. "All ten of us."

"You're kidding. Nadeshiko?"

"I'm here."

"Where are our guardian characters?"

"No idea." Amu's voice trembled.

I choked back my sorrow. "Does anyone know we've been kidnapped?"

"Easter does. And our families. But obviously there's no sign of them, so it's a small hope. " Ikuto.

"What about the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key?"

Utau. "No idea. But since we're still alive, I'm guessing the Dream Thief doesn't have them."

"So...we're in a tight spot."

"Not quite." Nagihiko. "Hold on a second." I felt hands at my legs and behind my back, and suddenly I was free. "There."

I massaged my wrists. "Thank you."

"Now you can move around like us." Ikuto. "But yes, we're screwed."

It was silent then. "My birthday's in about two days," Utau said.

A pause. "I think you just beat every single one of us in a 'worst birthday ever' contest," Ikuto told her.

* * *

_Ran huddled in a tiny ball on the floor of her little cage. She hung on a thin metal cage from the rafters in a small office room, lit with fluorescent lights that buzzed incessantly. Tall metal filing cabinets were lined against the wall, next to an old wooden desk. It held an air of abandonment._

_Sitting at the desk was a tall man with stormy grey eyes, wearing the suit of a businessman and filling out paperwork. Finished, he stood, collecting the papers on his desk, sliding them into his briefcase. He glanced at the tiny pink guardian character's still figure, and smiled. Then he left._

_Immediately Ran leapt to her feet, eyes focused and determined, and tiny pom-poms popped into her hand. "Coast is clear!" She hissed._

_Miki and Dia zoomed from their hiding places in the filing cabinets. "Okay, we'll have you out of there in no time," Miki told Ran, wiggling her paintbrush into the lock of the cage._

"_Rhythm and Temari should be freeing the others," Dia told her. "We have to free Su and Azumi."_

"_Got it." Ran nodded, and with a click she was free._

_With that, the three sped out of the room, zooming down the hall to the last door, which they opened and entered. Inside was a room almost exactly like that of Ran's, but with no papers upon the desk. Su, who was whimpering inside her cage, looked up to see her fellow guardian characters zooming towards her._

"_Let me out of here~desu!" Su cried, wiggling inside her egg._

"_Shush, Su!" Miki hissed, struggling to unlock her fellow guardian character from her tiny bird's cage. "Hold on a second, I'm almost there!"_

"_Well, hurry it up!" Ran whispered, glancing at the door. "Any minute now they'll be back!"_

_Dia's voice rang out. "They're coming!"_

"_Got it!" With that, Su flew out of the cage, tackling all three._

"_Oh, it was awful!" Su sobbed. "They didn't let me cook any food!"_

_Ran patted her consolingly on the back. "Yes, yes, now let's go!" She grabbed Su's and Miki's hand, flying out of the room with Dia bring up the rear._

* * *

**If you have any questions you want answered, post them in a review, and I will do my best to answer them in these next few chapters! Read and Review!**


	42. Part One: The Road of Stars

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Amu**

The time inside the empty room flowed without pause, from minute into hour until I was no longer sure how long we had been in the dark. Since, nothing but a thin beam of light penetrated the darkness we now lived in. The days were wearing upon us all. The little food our captors tossed us was barely enough to sustain us all, so some of us took turns without meals, saving most to help care for our more traumatized friends.

Rima had become extremely anxious, pacing around our cell as if searching for a way out. Yaya did not move, and though her expression was strangely calm, she seemed as still as a statue, obediently following everything we directed her to do, singing little nursery rhymes under her breath. Kukai had tried carving things into the walls, working with a fervor and rejecting all but the necessary food, obsessed with his carvings that were not there. Utau was constantly cracking jokes, her eyes filled with desperation as she tried to escape from the situation, with Kairi hanging on to her every word. Both Nagihiko and Nadeshiko acted like nurses, keeping their hands busy in an attempt to stay saner than the rest of us, like nurses or babysitters. Tadase insisted that our captors were not bad, that they must have their reasons and sympathized with them. And for me, it felt as if I were looking down upon the situation, watching on and unable to do a thing as my body moved on its own, trapped inside my head screaming as a real-life horror movie unfolded before my eyes.

"_Tooryanse, tooryanse,"_ Yaya sang. _"Koko ha doko no hosomichi ya, Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja..."_

"...But, so then Amu character-transformed," Utau cackled. "And she cleansed all the X-Eggs. So funny! Right, Amu?" She gave a stretched, half-crazed smile at my blank face. "Right?!"

"So funny," Kairi forced a broken, high-pitched giggle. "So, so funny!"

"_...Chiito tooshite kudashanse, goyou no nai mono toosha senu..."_

"There's got to be a way out of here," Rima muttered frantically under her breath, running her hands along the walls. "I have to get out, I have to get out..."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Nagihiko said cheerfully, his eyes sparkling madly. "Just a little mishap, but we'll be all right."

"Yes, there isn't anything wrong at all," Nadeshiko agreed happily.

"_...Konokono nanatsu no owai ni, O fuda wo osame ni mairimasu..."_

"Of course there isn't," Tadase agreed fervently. "Sure, I mean, it seems like we've been kidnapped, but the reasons that we're here are so obvious! And these people. They're not kidnappers, they're just misunderstood, they just want to help!" He directed this spiel towards Yaya, who nodded dreamily as she kept softly singing her little rhyme, rocking back and forth in her huddled little ball.

"This is wrong, this is all wrong!" Kukai growled under his breath, swiping aggressively at the invisible carvings in the wall. "I did this wrong...and this is crooked, it's all bad, I have to start over!"

"_Ikiha yoi yoi kaeriha kowai, kowai nagara mo tooryanse tooryanse..."_

"Amu, aren't we so funny?" Utau begged, shaking my shoulders. "Tell me we're funny!"

There was a loud bang on the door. Rima shrieked, Kukai screamed in frustration, Utau and Kairi squealed in hysterical laughter, Nagihiko, Nadeshiko and Tadase broke into wide smiles, and as if from a distance, I heard a cry fall from what must have been my own lips.

"Food." A rough female voice called, and the door opened, trays of food landing with clatters on the ground and sent old rice sliding across the ground. Then the door slammed shut, and the food was gone.

Immediately Nadeshiko and Nagihiko swooped forward, grabbing the food and swooping beside the others. "It's time to eat, Rima," Nagihiko said gently. "Say 'ah'!"

"I can't eat, I have to get out of here!" Rima yelled, shoving the food away. "I have to get out NOW!"

"Now, you just calm down, Rima," Nagihiko said patiently. "We're going to be just fine. Now, eat up! Your supper is here!"

As Nagihiko coaxed food into Rima's reluctant mouth, Nadeshiko was easily feeding Yaya, who was opening her mouth obediently and humming between her swallows.

"Be careful when you swallow, Yaya dear," Nadeshiko told her. "We don't want to choke, now do we?"

Nagihiko, who had finished feeding Rima her small portion, moved on to Kukai. "Now, Kukai, you can eat just a little, can't you?"

"NO!" Kukai yelled, knocking the bowl away. "I'm not done!"

"Don't be silly," Nagihiko scolded. "Eat your food. Your pretty drawings can wait."

"Amu, you have to eat," Nadeshiko smiled comfortingly, motioning for me to open my mouth. I did so automatically, then spat out the strange taste in my mouth.

"Ewwww!" Ran gasped, covered in little bits of rice. "That's so disgusting! Su! Why didn't you tell us it was safe to come out?"

"Sorry~desu!"

"Yuck." Miki popped out of the bowl. "How gross."

"My kimono is all dirty," Temari pouted. 'Nagihiko, you're lucky Rhythm and I care about you so much."

"Rima?" Kusukusu asked tentatively, floating around her bearer. "What's wrong?"

"I need to get away," Rima rejected the food Nagihiko offered her and began pounding on the walls. "I need to get away!"

"They're traumatized," Dia supplied, stroking my head gently.

"Amu?" Ran asked me quietly. I stared at her, not understanding what was happening. "Oh, Amu."

"Wait, they're traumatized?" Daichi crossed his arms. "Then, if they're affected, why aren't we as well?"

"Yeah," Azumi agreed. "I mean, when Nagihiko was possessed, so were Rhythm and Temari."

"I don't know." Dia shook her head in confusion. "Then again, when we were possessed, they weren't affected by it other than they were really stressed out."

"But think about it." Miki tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I mean, remember when you left Amu for Utau, Dia? Amu wasn't affected, but Utau was. Maybe it had to do with connections. Like, you connected with Utau instead of Amu, so you affected her instead. Do you think when we were possessed, our connections to them were severed for that period, and then we were connected again?"

"So you're saying that our connections have been severed again," Rhythm said.

"That makes sense," Temari nodded. "I mean, we were still connected to Nagihiko when he was possessed, so we would be possessed also. But if we broke the connections between characters and their bearers when you guys were possessed...then they wouldn't have been affected."

"You have a point, commoners," Kiseki said imperiously. "But then, how were we separated this time? Would we not be affected as well?"

"We were separated when the incident first occurred," Musashi drew his brows together. "Ripped from their sides, to be frank. Would that be sufficiently deemed 'separation'?"

"It's the only answer, but how do we fix it?" Ran huffed in frustration, waving her limbs madly in front of my face. "Helloooo in there...! Geez, she doesn't even answer me!"

"Well..." Dia hmm-ed. "I guess, it can't be that they're possessed, because there's no corruption in their energies. But it is dimmer, and obviously we didn't reject them, so maybe this time they rejected us."

"Great. I got rejected," Rhythm muttered. "Now what?"

Su perked. "What about the Humpty Lock~desu? And the Dumpty Key?"

"We could use the Lock and Key to cleanse them," Azumi suggested.

"But then we need someone who can character-transform," Temari said doubtfully.

"Someone with Guardian characters?" Dia mused. "I think I have a plan. But it requires us splitting up."

"Whatever it takes to make Rima smile again," Kusukusu said bravely, hugging Rima's cheek and cartwheeling away.

* * *

_It was late afternoon in the Royal Garden. A thick blanket of darkness hung across the sky, pierced by rich sunlight that fell in long beams to the shadowed surface; it was truly a sight to behold, but for Ami Hinamori, there could have been unicorns with wings pooping rainbows and glitter for all she could care._

_It seemed that since that fateful day two weeks ago, the world seemed to have lost its color, drained of any beauty or happiness. Two weeks since Agent Akira Amakawa had shown up on her doorstep with a disturbed look on her face, informing her parents that her sister, along with her ten friends, had been kidnapped, later informing her alone that it had been the Demon of Heart's doing. And it seemed that the Demon truly had stolen her heart; it was her sister whom she looked up to the most, and though she felt ashamed to admit it, the one with whom she shared the strongest bond. And now she was gone._

_The agent, of course, had denied the Guardians to take any part in the recovery of the ten, saying that 'if the Dream Thief is truly so strong as to kidnap ten powerful youths, it is too dangerous to risk the lives of four more'. Hikaru had stood by this decision fully, but the other four Guardians had, behind his back, decided to completely ignore their King and instead go searching for the ten themselves. Obviously, there was no luck, and so the five Guardians sat together, glumly going over paperwork (well, since Ami was the Joker, she sat around eating fudge brownies while the others worked.)_

_So with the glum mood, when all 12 guardian characters, Akira and Tsukasa Amakawa came zooming into the garden at the speed of light lugging the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key along in their tiny hands (Well, okay, so Akira and Tsukasa weren't exactly zooming), it should come as no surprise that all five Guardians and their six characters made some noise of surprise (i.e. screams, shouts and lots of curse words that none of them should have known) and fell out of their seats._

"_What are you guys doing here?!" Amu leapt to her feet and cupped Ran, Miki, Su and Dia in her hands, smiling in gleeful surprise and laughing in shock._

"_We escaped from the warehouse, and now we need your help in cleansing everyone because they're all traumatized and we don't know what else to do and—"_

"_Let's calm down for a second," Makoto said in alarm. "What's going on? How did you get here, and where are your bearers?"_

"_The scary monster wants to break Amu's Lock and Ikuto's Key~desu," Su supplied._

"_We got kidnapped by the Possessed, and got stuffed in a warehouse," Miki cried, "But then we escaped and got the Lock and Key and tried to help Amu and the others to escape!"_

"_But Amu and the others are traumatized," Dia said softly. "So we thought that maybe by using the Lock and your guys' character transformations to cleanse them would help."_

"_Mental damage will will affect a character bearer's Heart's Egg if the mental instability was not prior to the creation of the Character,, usually destroying it," Akira informed them. "In this case, the guardian characters were luckily separated from their bearers and therefore still hold the potential to reconnect."_

"_However, healing the mind is a very tricky business, just as healing a heart would be," Tsukasa added gently. "Think of the character bearers as apartments and the characters as tenants. At this moment, they are unfit for the guardian characters. But if you cleanse them..."_

"_So we have to find them, cleanse their hearts so these guys can go back to them, and then..." Ryuu said expectantly._

"_We fight," Akira said simply, and then added, "As in, all of us." She seemed a bit tense._

"_It is a difficult thing to ask of you," Tsukasa bowed his head. "To fight this supernatural being, there are no second chances, no backwards steps, and severe consequences should you fail. There is extreme danger in letting you participate in this. If you truly wish to fight...then you must all swear to me one thing."_

"_What?" Mai asked._

"_If there is even the slightest hint that we will fail, then you must swear to leave the place at once, and take everyone you can with you. And whatever you do..." He stared each one in the eye, his gaze burning. "Do. Not. Come. Back."_

_Amu stood, her gaze fierce. "I promise," She said, and though her voice was quiet, it rang throughout the room._

_Mai stood next to her. "I promise."_

_Ryuu joined them. "I promise."_

_Makoto linked her arms with him. "I promise."_

_The four looked expectantly at Hikaru, who watched them with a furrowed brow, obviously worried. Then he nodded, and took Ami's hand. "I promise."_

* * *

After hour upon hour of agonizing nothingness, the sky had finally darkened in the sky seen in the thin window in the wall, a miniature full moon squeezing its bright rays through and casting a gentle, pure glow upon the room. My eyes seemed to have been glued open, as I stared around the room; a feverish Rima, squirming and mumbling in her sleep, rested in Nagihiko's arms, while Kukai kept drawing his invisible pictures on the wall, his eyes bloodshot, with Utau close by, muttering "Funny...so funny" under her breath, Yaya curled up in a ball, listening to a giggling Kairi speak and humming her crooked rhymes, Tadase and Nadeshiko cuddling peacefully together, and Ikuto. Ikuto, who kept his eyes fixed on me, his eyes the same shade as the midnight sky, unmoving, still. I stared back silently, and together we watched each other, in monotonous harmony.

It was then that with a quiet scratching sound just outside the thick door grew louder, and with a tiny squeak and a quiet grunt, two heads poked their way into the door.

"This is it," I heard a familiar small voice say. "See, there's Amu!"

"Onee-chan?" One of the heads swept her eyes around the room and came to a rest on me. "Onee-chan!"

I blinked, watching blankly as an eight-year-old girl with French braids and large large ribbon ties rushed forward and threw her arms around me, glittering in a silver-sequined dress. "Onee-chan!" She said shakily, tightening her grip. "Oh, I was so scared!"

"Ami," I heard my voice echo as if far away. "Imouto."

The other head moved into the room, and a vaguely familiar, proud, haughty face on a delicate child's figure came into the room. "It's them? I have the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key. Do you want to do it now?"

The first girl—my sister?—nodded. "Yeah...Um, Suzu...?"

"_Hai?"_

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"_I dunno!"_

A tall, willowy woman dressed in all black slid into the room like a shadow, her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. "Are we having any trouble in here?"

The girl nodded, embarrassed. "I don't know what to do now."

"Hm." The woman stepped forward, inspecting each of us, then stood back and called, "Tsukasa!"

"Yes, Akira?" A man with a face like an older Tadase's stepped into the room.

"What do you think?" She motioned in my direction.

"Hmm." He came forward and knelt in front of me. I felt myself jump as he pressed a hand to my forehead. "It should be safe. Hinamori-san, could you please bring me the Lock and the Key?"

"S-Sure." The girl passed him a glittering gold lock and a matching key. The man nodded his thanks and, contemplating me for a second, placed the lock around my neck.

It was as if a huge flood of energy surged through my body, lighting up the world around me in bright glow. The thick fuzz from my brain blew away and disappeared, leaving me floating peacefully in bright light.

"Amu!" Ran, Miki, Su, Dia. All floated before me within the helix of stars, smiling with relieved excitement.

"What's going on?" I shouted, confused and disoriented by the sudden clarity. "Where am I?"

"You and the other nine got kidnapped by the Dream Thief and became severely traumatized, so the Guardians and Easter came to free you guys and get you guys back to normal!" Ran called matter-of-factly.

"What?!"

"No time to explain right now! Just go with it!" Miki yelled.

"...Okay?!"

_Unlock my heart!_

With that, the swirling vortex of glittering particles around me grew brighter and brighter, swallowing me up in a radiant embrace, a jolting shock of energy, and then I could see the world again. Ran, Miki, Su and Dia all floated by my side.

"So it worked." I startled and turned to see Tsukasa nodding in satisfaction. "You've been cleansed. Why don't you do the honors of cleansing Tsukiyomi-san?"

"Um, okay—wait a second!" I protested. "What's going on?! Where am I, and what do you guys mean, I got kidnapped?!"

"Amu! Focus!" Dia urged from beside me. "Now look. What do you see?"

I blinked in surprise and squinted through the darkness. There in the shadows, against the wall and lying on the floor, were all my friends. Yaya hummed an old children's rhyme, Utau and Kairi were giggling insanely, Nagihiko was attempting to calm a frantic Rima, Tadase and Nadeshiko were having a passionate debate about whether or not coffee was a tasty beverage, Kukai was running a rock along the wall as if drawing and muttering that his lines were too crooked, and Ikuto sat staring at me intently. The scene would have been funny had it the situation not been so dire. As it was, the scene was creepy and insane and so, so wrong.

"Only you can help them," Agent Amakawa told me.

I took a deep breath and nodded, determined to end this madness.

With that, I knelt in front of Ikuto and pressed the Key into his hand.

He gasped and jolted to his feet like electricity had surged through him, his eyes wild and alight and _glowing._ I stumbled back, watching open-mouthed as he was lifted off his feet for one amazing second, and then fell to the ground, breathing hard.

"What the hell?" He managed.

But it wasn't his suddenly clear, midnight blue eyes that were free of the cloud. No, it was the little black-and-white egg that floated in front of him. With a pop, Yoru appeared, in his miniature catlike glory. "Ikuto! I'm back~nya!"

"Yoru?" Ikuto stared at his old guardian character, who laughed and bounced around in the air excitedly. "How did you—where am I? What's going on?"

"You got kidnapped by the demon and stuck in this warehouse," Miki said helpfully. "And you and Amu's friends were traumatized."

"And we escaped, and got the Guardians and Easter to help!" Ran added excitedly. "There's a battle going on right now down—" _CRASH. THUMP-SMASH. _"—stairs!"

"You didn't tell me that!" I told them indignantly.

"We forgot," Dia said sheepishly. "But yes, right now the other Guardians as well as a bunch of Easter agents are downstairs right now fighting Possessed."

"But that's not important right now~nya," Yoru told Ikuto firmly. "Right now you gotta transform with me so you and Pinkie-Pie here can cleanse your friends and beat up the demon~nya!"

"How do you know about the demon?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Just because you can't see us when we're gone doesn't mean we're not there~nya," Yoru told me importantly, emphasizing his point by sticking out his tongue at me while floating upside down.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ikuto asked, who had been watching our friends with a pitying expression. "Let's do this."

"Right." I closed my eyes. "Ran. Miki. Su. Dia."

"Hai!"

"Amulet Heart!"

"Black Lynx!"

Recalling the amazing euphoric waves that had swept through the first time I had attempted this, I tried my best to recreate the exact situation. I startled as Ikuto's fingers intertwined with mine, and realized I had reached out for his hand. He nodded.

"Open Heart!"

A blast like a cannon right from my hands, and I forced myself to steady, keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground as blinding energy shot out and exploded into shards of light, enveloping everything in its radiance. One, two, three seconds of pure, unadulterated bliss, and then the light died away, leaving darkness.

For a moment, it was silent. Then, one by one, my friends stepped into the light, blinking in confusion and shock. "Where am I?" Rima muttered.

"An abandoned warehouse in the middle of an epic battle," Kusukusu said happily.

"What's going on?" Kukai asked.

"You got kidnapped by the demon and went crazy!" Daichi said brightly. "And then we came to save you! And the Guardians and Easter are here fighting a bunch of Possessed!"

Utau gasped as two eggs, one pink and white and the other magenta and black, dissolved into existence and popped open. "HOLY FU—"

"Il and El are back!" I heard a tiny, slightly obnoxious and bossy voice ring out. Then a whiny "Ow! Don't kick me!"

"Utau, let's go kick some demonic butt!" Il snickered evilly.

"What is going on here?" Kairi blinked rapidly.

"Were you not listening to anything we just said?" Ran huffed.

Yaya immediately glomped me. "Amu! Where are we? What's happening? Why are Il and El here?"

"How the hell did you guys get here?!" Utau demanded her returned guardian characters.

"Calm down, guys," I said loudly, inwardly agreeing with their confusion. "I'll explain it, but it has to be quick, because there's apparently a lot going on!"

"You got that right," Rima said huffily. "Now explain, Amu."

"Do you guys remember the last thing that happened?" I asked hopefully.

"We were at the park," Nagihiko said uncertainly. "You and Ikuto had a dream about that park. And then some of us went to find Nadeshiko, and the rest of us stayed and watched..."

"And we realized that the demon is trying to destroy the Lock and Key," Ikuto finished. "And then we were kidnapped and brought here to this warehouse, where we were all severely traumatized and rescued by the Seiyo Academy Guardians, Easter and our guardian characters."

"Our entrance wasn't as inconspicuous as we'd hoped," Ami appeared behind me. "It was like the demon knew we were coming. When we arrived, there were thousands and thousands of those Possessed."

"It happens that the demon has possessed more than simply the average human," Agent Amakawa said grimly. "There are also many supernatural beings on its side as well."

The silence was tense, and then it broke. "What kinds of supernatural beings?" Nadeshiko asked.

"Spirits, vampires, werewolves, elementals, clairvoyants, witches, wizards... other character bearers," The agent sighed. "It's been very hard. We do have some supernaturals on our side, of course, as well as many agents like myself, but pitted against so many, with the help of a demon... I am afraid to say that we are on the losing side at the moment."

"So we need to get out there and help you fight," Utau said quietly.

"Yes." She nodded. "And I fear that this battle will change the course of the war. Easter has required most of our agents to fight in this battle. But if we lose, then you will no longer have us to help you, for there will be no Easter. Without us, you chances of saving Japan—no, the world, for that matter—are very limited."

"Then we'd better win," I said bravely.

Ikuto nodded. "Let's go."

With that, the room flashed with light.

"Platinum Royale!"

"Lunatic Charm!"

"Sky Jack!"

"Clown Drop!"

"Beat Jumper!"

"Dear Baby!"

"Samurai Soul!"

"Heart's Desire!"

"Let's go!" I yelled, and with that we were out of the room, into the light of the warehouse, with the Guardians in the lead, following them as they flew down staircase after staircase, through hallways, and then through a door, into the light of an enormous hall.

It was absolute pandemonium. The battle was so fantastic, so terrifying and beautiful that it seemed impossible even to simply know where to begin.

There were thousands of Easter agents dressed in black, dodging and slashing, fighting amazing supernatural beings. Witches and wizards with thin, bony faces were dancing in and out, weaving as they slashed and twirled—with wands? Their bare hands?—everything was so fast you couldn't tell. Snarls and ripping and screams were a horrid soundtrack as emaciated werewolves, strange doglike figures that seemed vaguely human ripped viciously at the agents. Terrifyingly thin and worn glittering beings, with strange clothes and iridescent beetle wings flew through the air, waving intricate designs and crying out harsh words in a foreign language. Across the ground, wild, feral fae ripping at the heels of everything in reach and cackling an ancient language with glistening black eyes. Humans, people in rags that raised their arms and danced, flipping and shoving, sending barrages of fire, water, bursts of air, slamming into the ground so it shook. Single people that sound on the ground with strained faces, protected by a throng as they did invisible damage to those around them. And character bearers, the half-crazed expressions of young children, some around my age, fighting madly for their lives.

And there was the demon. It seemed to dance, to flit from place to place, screeching words in a language from eons past, disappearing in billowing smoke and reappearing elsewhere, leaving a black, inky trail wherever it went, untouchable and evil.

It was but seconds that I took all this in, and then I found myself moving forward, running faster than I had in my life, towards this monster that scared me more than anything had.

The Demon of Hearts turned towards me, empty, fathomless black eyes meeting mine, and for a moment I faltered. A wide, slimy smile stretched across its skull-like face, revealing a mouth filled with long, sharp white teeth. _Come and play with me,_ It crooned. _Come and play, Amu._

I gritted my teeth and yelled, "Heart Rod!"

The demon only smiled wider and leapt aside, easily dodging the quick pink rod as it hurtled through the air.

"Amu!"

"Ikuto!" I yelled, hurling the rod towards the demon again, this time hitting it on the arm as it shrieked in pain, sparks flying from the wound as it healed.

As if with wings, Ikuto was at my side, then past, leaping at the demon and extending long silver claws, slashing at the demon. It hissed and disappeared into a thick cloud of smoke, that began to spread in a thick mist, enveloping the entire room in darkness. Shouts of surprise and cries of shock erupted throughout the room.

Without thinking, I found myself back-to-back with Ikuto, turning in a circle. "Where did it go?"

Ikuto cursed. "I don't know, I can't see anything."

"Dia!"

"Hai!"

Unlock my heart!

With a blinding flash of light and a new rush of energy, I was Amulet Diamond. "Starlight Navigation!" I called, and with that the light blasted its way through the mist, shredding it to pieces.

_Smart girl,_ the demon hissed in my ear. _I will take pleasure in watching you die._

I gasped as the memory of the night during the school play flashed into my mind. Though I felt sure I had never heard the words spoken to me before, it seemed as if they had slipped into my memory.

I shook my head and refocused. The demon was still gone, and Ikuto and I stood together alone.

"Let's move," Ikuto said, nodding curtly, and the two of us moved off in search of the Dream Thief.

* * *

_Tadase stumbled backwards, panting with effort to keep his guard up, arms shaking as he gripped his saber. His opponent, a skilled swordsman, did not even use all his effort to slash and hack away at this young, inexperienced boy. All Tadase could do was dodge and block, occasionally striking desperately in an attempt to slow the older man._

_A heavy blow, and the two blades caught against each other. The teen yelled with exertion, trying to keep the other's blade from slipping past his weakening defense and wounding him. The man only shifted his footing and drove the blade downwards, and the blade sank deep into his side._

_Tadase cried out in pain and fell to the ground, clutching at the wound as blood seeped between his fingers. The world swam, tinged with red, and Tadase, cornered, badly injured and weak, found it extremely difficult even to stand and continue to fight. By now, all thoughts of any other seemed to have flown from his mind, and now was only his final will to survive. But fight he must. Recalling his courage, his passion and his bravery, the young blonde stumbled to his feet and attacked with all his might._

* * *

"_On your left!" Rima shouted, and Nagihiko whirled around, twirling the long naginata in his grip and slicing at the mob that surrounded the two as they tried to protect Tsukasa Amakawa. The man sat on the ground, his face screwed up in pain as he muttered things under his breath, causing one enemy after the other to drop to the ground, clutching at their heads as if an awful noise was threatening to shatter their eardrums to pieces._

_Rima tossed the long tightropes in a sweeping motion, trapping the bodies that attacked her. Nagihiko winced as his weapon caught a young girl on the shoulder, biting back his reservations when she cried out and fell to the ground in pain, stopping for a moment._

_Without warning, the little girl launched herself at his face, hissing like a cat, and Nagihiko leapt back in shock. Rima leapt forward and shoved him out of the way, resulting in a horrific crash, a spitting and clawing girl slashing her long-nailed hands at Rima, who yelped in pain and tied her up with more ropes._

_He helped to her feet, and she raised a hand to a thin, bleeding scratch, staring at him emotionlessly. "Don't think, or you'll fall into their mind games."_

_He nodded reluctantly, staring at the struggling form of the small girl, who screeched and screamed wildly, glaring at him with pure hate and malice._

* * *

_Bolts of crackling electricity surged, twisting menacingly around Kairi's blade as he raised it to the heavens and struck. With a blast of power, his opponents, a pack of werewolves, were forced back, yelping in pain. It was only a matter of seconds before the powerful shape-shifters shook off the attack and began to attack him once more, brutally ripping at the young samurai and tearing holes in his clothes. He narrowly avoided the feral creatures' sharp, dagger-like teeth, but three long, shallow gashes dripping blood were slashed into his back._

_Kairi twirled and hacked as best he could, gritting his teeth in pain as his wounds stung and burned with his movements, wounding the enormous beings with his considerable skill. But he was only one youth, surrounded by a pack of eleven werewolves twice his size._

Kairi, look out!_ Musashi called to him, and he whirled around, but it was too late. He was knocked to the ground, wheezing in surprise and fear as the alpha leered down at him, snarling and keeping the stunned boy pinned under its heavy body. _

_In many ways, the creature was beautiful and terrible, with its beautiful silver fur that ruffled strangely as if blown by an invisible moonlit breeze, or the enormous tawny eyes that glared down at him; its body was perfectly proportioned between human and wolf. But the claws, though glinting sharply, were dark with fresh scarlet and its teeth, though white, were hidden under a foul-smelling bloody substance of which its source Kairi did not like to think._

_Through the terror as the shape-shifter raised its claws, Kairi did not hear the soft, sweet lullaby that trailed close to his ears, nor the thump of bodies hitting the ground. It was when the alpha wolf slammed on his chest and broke a few ribs that Kairi was, even through the intense pain, that he could recognize the lullaby that was so familiar._

"_Sorry!" Yaya shouted over the ongoing commotion, struggling to push the enormous wolf off of him. "I didn't realize he'd crush you!"_

_Kairi attempted to speak, to exclaim his surprise in her appearance and his astonishment that she had managed to take out an entire pack of werewolves single-handedly, but found it more than a little difficult what with the pain that wracked his body and the black ants that were swarming over his vision. Then he was unconscious ignorant to the world around him._

_Including, as it was, the terrified screams of his girlfriend and a sickening crunch that broke off the scream with an gruesome abruptness._

* * *

_In a different part of the hall, Nadeshiko flung her arms out in front of her, barely dispersing a barrage of flames sent straight at her face by a blank-faced boy just a few years younger than she with a look of tragic innocence on his face. He spun on his heel and shot a rain of fire at her, forcing her to dodge. Wings sprouted from her back, long and feathered, and she leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding a blow that barely missed her wings. Raising her arms, she zoomed to the ground and landed hard, sending waves of wind rippling across the ground and knocking her opponent to his feet, pinning him there as he struggled to stand and failed._

_She hesitated for the barest moment, seeing his pure face. It was a mistake. From behind, a moment too late, she tensed as she sensed something flying towards her, whirling around just in time to see an enormous wave of water smash through the fighters toward her She gasped, throwing up her hands to stop it, but it was too strong; she fell to her knees, barely protecting herself with a thick shield of air from a torrent of water that surged around her bubble, pushing at its walls. Any second, and it would pop, and she would drown—_

_A flash of movement caught her eye, and Akira Amakawa hurtled through the air, shoving an older woman with a haunted expression to the side. Immediately the swell drooped, and Nadeshiko fell to the ground, knee-deep in water._

_Akira approached her and offered her a hand. Nadeshiko nodded, and the two began to fight as the inferno and the tide itself threw themselves at the alliance of human and aether._

* * *

_Utau thrust her trident towards the spirit, chasing after it as its cackles echoed, disappearing and reappearing behind her. She whirled around and stabbed it, passing right through it. Frustrated, she yelled, "Nightmare Lorelei!" crimson bat-winged butterflies erupted in a violent energy outburst, throwing back the luminous, opaque spirits with shrieks and wails._

_A host of dark shadows rose up from the ground and swirled into smoky human figures, empty sockets for eyes and wide, gaping mouths. Unlike the spirits Utau and Kukai had first met that were vaguely transparent beings in human form, these seemed twisted and dark, disregarding their ethereal beauty with their gleeful and cruel expressions._

_There was a noise like a cannon blast and a blinding burst of energy that flood through the room, and everyone in the entire hall stopped what they were doing and stared, still in battle motion but distracted by the ensuing battle._

_In the center of the room, the demon hunched over, with Amu and Ikuto standing over it with exhausted expressions. An inky black substance dribbled from the morphed black figure that exuded so much evil, dripping onto the ground and sizzling through the concrete._

"_It's over," Amu said, her voice ringing throughout the hall, echoing against the walls._

_The Dream Thief did not move, but simply crouched, its back still as if it did not breathe. Amu and Ikuto joined hands, staring at the fallen evil with blank, empty looks, as if they had been drained to the point of unfeeling._

_Faster than thought, the demon reached up with a clawed hand and grabbed the Humpty Lock. The effect was instantaneous: Amu, Ikuto and the demon cried out in unison, a cacophony of shrieks and screams, before the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key glowed so bright that the radiance blocked out everything else. Then it shut off, and in smoking, singed space where the trio had stood, was nothing._

_They were gone._

* * *

**Preview: **

_"I was vaguely aware of Ikuto drooping beside me before I blacked out, lost in the twilight of dreams."_

* * *

**Look, I know that being traumatized is a totally serious business. I understand that everything related to it in my story (i.e., Tadase's Stockholm Syndrome) is absolutely nowhere near as painful and awful and horrible as it truly is. I'm sorry, but I've never been traumatized myself, nor am I willing to go around asking people about it, so could never give a truly accurate description of the suffering people go through in this state. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I couldn't think of another way to describe how terrifying it would REALLY feel to be kidnapped.**

**Read and Review!**


	43. Part Two: Memories In Violet

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

******_DON'T READ AHEAD! There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense unless you read it from start to finish!_**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Ikuto**

We were falling, falling through an endless vortex of stars that swirled around us, glittering particles mysterious in their endless spectrum, a strange wind rushing up past us as we fell. Beneath us, a long, shining road glimmered, a curving path that beckoned us towards it, disappearing into the infinite distance, unending. Around Amu's neck was the Humpty Lock, shining with multicolored light to match the Key around my own throat.

With a soft thump, the two of us landed on the road, blinking in breathless surprise at this universe of glowing shards around us.

"The road of stars," Ran said, astounded.

"How did we get here?" I wondered, turning to stare at the ethereal scene that surrounded every fibre of our beings.

"I don't know," Amu said in confusion. "The Dream Thief, it touched my Lock, and then suddenly we were falling. "Where is it now, do you think?"

I frowned, raising a hand to my Key and gripping it tightly. "I don't know. But we're here for a reason, so we might as well follow the road and see where it takes us."

And so we walked. Step after step, cautiously into the vortex devoid of darkness, watching the stars swirl and twinkle merrily around us, laughing and alight. It seemed music echoed around the two of us, a harmony of silence and sound, joyful noise inside a great quiet so beautiful it was indescribable. Colors I could not name shone, whispering comfort and hope. It was tranquil, even in the depths of the danger we now faced.

"I think we have to step off the path."

I stopped. "What?"

Dia floated between us, her expression thoughtful. "I think we're supposed to step off the path." She reached her hand out to the sparkles. "Last time Amu was here, there was a disruption. And because the Road of Stars is so unpredictable, she was caught up in the stars and landed elsewhere, but it also happened to be the places she wanted to go."

"So right now, that would be where the Dream Thief is," Miki added.

Amu peeked over the edge and paled. It was an endless spiral into nothingness. Well-lit, beautiful and magical nothingness, but nothingness all the same. "Well, then," She whispered, her grip on my hand tightening. "I guess we'd better get going."

"Don't worry, I've got you," I told her gently. "Whatever happens, I'll be there."

She smiled and nodded, but inside, we both knew how fragile this statement was. "I will, too."

A recent memory flickered in my head like a light, somehow distant and close at the same time. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," I told her lightly.

She squeezed my hand, and now her eyes were fierce and determined, her voice powerful. "This promise I'll defend, I will until the end."

And with that, we stepped off the path.

Immediately the vortex began to churn, twisting and writhing violently, bending as we shot through the maelström with the force of a bullet, corkscrewing and spinning. Pure adrenaline shot through my veins, and I heard myself yelling, my voice mingling with the sound of Amu's screams, clutching her hand tighter and terrified of what would happen if I let her go.

Then blackness.

* * *

_The moon, bright and clear in its nostalgic beauty, held back the veil of dark winter clouds that demanded the relief of darkness in the night sky. The small army had crowded itself on the enormous warehouse's rooftop, the hundreds easily fitting on that view to the heavens._

"_Let go of us!" Rima growled, writhing in her chains. Her eyes were filled with spite for this monster, who crouched in front of her, its rancid breath filling her nostrils and making her eyes water. One of her legs was twisted in a rather sick way._

_The eight left behind and their allies had been captured after the disappearance of Amu and Ikuto. It had been quick, capturing them, a humiliating defeat, but what did it matter? Now the eight sat together, still transformed and tied with chains, unable to move._

_Tadase, who had several thin scrapes, clutched his side, chalk-white and breathing heavily as he clutched desperately at his side, which was soaked crimson. Tsukasa, battered and bruised, was squeezing his eyes shut, screwing his face up as if in pain as the color began to return to his nephew's cheeks._

"_Why are you doing this?" Yaya pleaded. One of her thumbs was red and swollen, a token she had received from punching a werewolf in the snout and keeping her thumb tucked in instead of out as it should have been. _

_Kairi was still unconscious, blacked out from his four broken ribs. He was pale, and his breathing was unnatural, eyes moving beneath his lids as if in a nightmare._

_Nadeshiko was covered in bright red welts, her kimono torn. "We don't have the Lock and Key, so why don't you just let us go? We can't hurt you," She said coaxingly, her voice dripping with honey and sugar. _

"_Exactly," Nagihiko agreed, his voice just as sweet and slippery. A long, shallow cut dripped blood down his shoulder. "We're powerless against you. We promise we won't do any harm."_

"_I wouldn't be so sure," Utau grumbled under her breath, silently making death threat after death threat at the Dream Thief. Her arms were covered with endless cuts and scrapes, having been battered in the hanging chains by the malevolent spirits._

_Kukai was returning to consciousness, having been knocked out with a particularly vicious knock to the head by a particularly disgruntled troll that Kukai had kicked where the sun didn't particularly shine while trying to escape. He moaned, clutching the large goose egg that was forming on his skull._

_The Dream Thief did not move. It did not make a sound, did not stir in the slightest. After it had disappeared along with Amu and Ikuto, there had been a long silence, before it reappeared, eyes wild as it screamed its shrill, metallic shriek, and raised the war cries of its army. But in the midst of the battle, it had fallen and did not move again, even as its body had been lifted and carried up the spiral staircase to the rooftop and laid with more gentility on the ground than the last eight believed it deserved._

_Now there was silence, for the scene made little sense. Why had they been brought to the roof? Why did this monster, this slayer of dreams, why did it not harm them? Where were Amu and Ikuto? The demon's army was clearly waiting for something to happen, so why did it not happen now?_

_Alas, the answer was clear as day, and it would not be long before the last defense was defeated and all would fall to eternal slumber._

* * *

"Ikuto, wake up."

Daylight streamed through the image of soft pink sakura, rustling as a cool breeze wound its way through the dark branches, dancing with the tiny blossoms and feeing loose petals to fly away gracefully. I sat up blinking, staring at the glorious scene. Amu sat beside me, her eyes questioning.

I lay upon a worn rock thick with damp moss. Burbling happily several feet away was a gently rushing brook that sparkled with clear water. Tiny fish darted here and there, visible through the pure stream. Farther back, a high distance from the river, were many bushes of beautiful and poisonous azalea. Closer, just a few feet away, a stone well stood, appearing several decades old and slightly worn but still standing proud. All around it, tiny sumire were tickled by the faint breeze, delicate violets with their tiny purple veins.

"Where are we?" I murmured, feeling the soft emerald green grass brush my hands with its long tendrils.

"I don't know," She said, her brow furrowed, "But for some reason, this place seems familiar..."

I lifted my head to the cherry blossoms. "The sakura are beautiful. I don't think I've seen such an untouched natural place in a long time."

"Untouched wilderness, sakura, and obviously we're still in Japan..." Her eyes brightened. "It's springtime. In Yoshinoyama."

"But how long ago?" I wondered.

Suddenly Amu stiffened. I turned to see what she saw, and caught the sight of a youth, seemingly my age, dressed in a plain dark blue kimono with shining dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail. His dark eyes glinted with merriment as he stood by the thin stream, taking in the beauty before bending down to pick tiny leaves off a plant. He wore the clothes of a low-class man over a century ago would have worn, slightly ruffled with his juban sticking out a little more than proper, his geta scuffed and his obi slightly crooked.

"Who is that?" Miki hissed, wary of this new arrival.

Su twirled. "I don't know, but he seems friendly enough. Hello!" She called, floating hopefully towards the man.

"Su!" Amu said, astonished, and leapt after her, stuffing her into her pocket and apologizing hastily. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't..."

The man paid no attention to her, acting as if she were not even there, standing next to him. He simply straightened, inspected a dark green leaf, then shook his head and bent over again, utterly absorbed in his work.

Amu blinked. "Um... Sir? Hello?"

Nothing. I grew suspicious. "Hold on a second..." I stepped forward and lifted a hand to touch the man. As my hand touched him, it disappeared. Amu gasped.

"Is... is he..."

I shook my head. "I don't think he's a spirit. I think we're in the past. Or a memory, perhaps." A flicker of realization passed over Amu's face.

Dia cocked her head. "We're in the Dream Thief's memories."

"Does that mean we're inside it's head?" Ran looked terrified.

Dia shook her head, but Yoru answered for her. "Nope, the Road of Stars is above space and time~nya," He said importantly. "I know 'cause of last time. That's what this one said."

An outburst of laughter caused the two of us to turn, the man still oblivious to the world around him. Through the trees burst a beautiful woman, her long dark hair pulled back in a loose tie. She had to have been Amu's age, just seventeen. Her soft, yellow-white kimono, unlike this poor man's, seemed to be made of cotton, with tiny white flowers scattered across the skirts and the long sleeves. Her eyes sparkled as she flew towards the well, abandoning any sense of proper dignity mandatory for her obviously high status. Flinging herself forward, she drooped to her knees, laughing aloud.

In extremely formal, old-fashioned and hard to understand Japanese, her several companions giggled and scolded her for her 'her improper behavior', 'what her father would say' and 'her obi was coming undone and her kimono was probably stained now', but their tones were cheerful; they carried large baskets filled to the brims with sumire.

Their laughter turned to shrieks as the woman, with her hand outstretched, cried out in pain and terror as a snake, brown and striped, struck from the violets she reached for, hissing angrily before slither away.

The woman collapsed in a dead faint, her face pale, lying motionless on the ground. Immediately her companions were at her side, trying to wake her, wails of sadness and panic rising through the trees.

Now the man had looked up, surprised to see others so close, and approached the women with curiosity and some caution. As he came forward, the women started and looked at him, confused and distressed.

He spoke to them in a gentle manner, smiling kindly. "Do not be so sad! I can restore the young lady to consciousness if you will allow me." He knelt at her side, examining her for a short time. Producing a small case, he poured a small amount of powder into his hands, mentioning that he was a doctor from a neighbouring town. He offered it to one of the women who was slightly more distinguished than her fellows. The man spoke to give the powder to the lady as he hunted for the snake.

The woman nodded, and after an order that sent another to fetch water from the well, forced open her mouth and poured the powder along with a trickle of water and made her swallow it. Immediately the woman began to stir, her eyes moving under her lids, colour beginning to return to her cheeks.

"This is so familiar," Amu mumbled, moving forward unconsciously. "I feel like I've read a good book, and now I'm seeing a movie that's exactly like it."

"It is a little familiar," I agreed, keeping my eyes fixed on the violet well.

The man returned, holding the dead snake with a stick. Coming forward, he asked something. I caught 'snake' and 'this particular one'.

The women nodded and agreed, murmuring fearfully and inching away from the limp, scaly body. The man bowed his head, speaking of the snake and its dangerous venom, and the women nodded, thanking him gratefully.

As the man spoke his last words, the young woman sat up, blinking in confusion. Her eyes went straight to the youth, and for a moment the two seemed speechless. She coloured, and with a shy smile she asked who this man she was that she was now indebted to, her voice softer and her eyes shining as she took him in.

He did not answer, merely giving her a bright smile, his eyes dancing like two kites in the wind. He knelt and bowed respectively, then straightened left, disappearing into the trees, and he was gone.

After some time of staring after him, the woman accepted her companions' offers to help her stand, and they left.

"What now?" Amu asked. "Do we follow them?"

"But which do we follow, the man or the woman?" I asked.

As it turned out, it didn't matter, because the next moment the world dissolved with light, and then it was blackness once more.

* * *

We stood on the edge of a clearing, the sakura glowing under the light of the moon, almost full. In front of us, rising against the sky, was a tatami house, under cover of the cherry blossoms. We were located at what must have been the back of the house, with its luxuriant gardens set below the house, the faint scent of flowers wafted towards our noses. The air was still, and the quiet murmur of the forest seemed muted, as if all lay in wait for what would happen next.

"I think we're still in the same time period," Amu whispered. "And it looks like the same general area as before."

"But how close are we to the first memory?" I mused.

The movement flashed across my vision, and the girl from before had appeared behind a tree. She no longer wore her rich clothes from before, but now was dressed like that of a laborer, a male one at that. She itched unconsciously at her rough cottons, obviously unused to them; it had to have been but a few days at most since she had first used them, not even a week.

She glanced back, and seeing no one, raced towards us, her face alight with determination and hope; her expression was extremely similar to one I had seen Amu often wear. She ran right through us and kept running, flying across the fields and laughing breathlessly as she disappeared into the trees.

"Follow her," I whispered, and with a pop, I had chara-changed with Yoru, leaping up into the trees and following from above. Amu, chara-changed with Ran, was flying silently in the air, intently trailing this girl.

"I think I know where she's going," I heard her hiss. "Head to that place we were first at."

Zooming ahead of the woman, I followed Amu as she scanned the ground, then shot towards a clearing by a river. Sure enough, there was the field of sumire, the riverbank, the violet well.

Standing next to the well with an expectant smile on his face was the youth from before, still handsome as ever with an added hint of young love, obviously slightly nervous. In his hand, he twirled a tiny violet.

We settled next to him, waiting patiently, and in a few minutes' passing the girl came from the trees, slowly and hesitantly as she peeked around. Seeing no one, she smiled and glided towards her fellow teen, coming to a graceful stop before him.

Awkward silence, then the youth knelt and lifted his hands, holding out the violet to her, speaking softly with words of a 'gift' and 'for my princess'. She beamed and took it from him, thanking him softly. She sat beside him on the grass, and a natural as a fish in water, the two began to talk. It had become harder and harder to understand their words, they flowed fast and quick in earnest, but from their actions, from her flushed cheeks and his happy grin, it was clear the two were, speaking romantically, 'meant to be together'. Like Amu and I.

I caught movement in my vision again, and saw the form of another woman. It was a companion of the girl that I had seen before, and she had an expression of pity on her face, bittersweet as she watched the two lovers draw closer and closer to each other. She smiled sadly, pressing her palms together and whispering what seemed like a prayer, then turned away and left the way she came, her shoulders hunched.

We turned back to the two, and I caught the words 'only a few days' and 'I love you' come out of the girl's mouth, looking at her lover earnestly and hopefully. He seemed stunned for a moment, then grinned and nodded, repeating her words and taking her hand. At this, she seemed extremely overwhelmed, and without warning, abandoned all inhibitions and threw her arms around his neck, knocking him over as she kissed him. He laughed against her lips and pulled her closer.

It was strange, I noticed, how happy the two seemed, but in the air I felt a strong tinge of regret and pain. A sudden premonition arose in front of me, and suddenly, though I knew it was the past, I wished more than anything that I could change what I felt was coming.

I could feel the wave of stars tugging at me again, and I took Amu's hand, whispering, "I think it's time to go."

She nodded, and we stepped away, before we were enveloped in light, and then darkness once more.

* * *

We stood in a low, dimly lit hall, candlelight flickering against the tatami mats and paneling. In front of us was a sliding door, in front of which the plainly dressed servant woman from before stood wringing her hands. Not a sound could be heard from the room itself, even as from around the halls shuffling noises slipped through the walls. From the backlit glow of the panels, it was clear that it was day. In the distance, the soft chirp of birds and the quiet sway of the forest sang their noontime song.

The woman sighed sadly, rapping her knuckles on the screen in a tired sort of way, as if she had done so often before and did not expect to receive an answer at all. And as it happened there was no answer, not a voice or a sound from the room, almost as if there was no one there at all. The woman rubbed her eyes tiredly, quietly asking whomever hid behind the door to 'please come out', mentioning that it had been several days since she had seen the world. A pause, and it seemed that the person, a feminine shadow, had pressed against the door, listening in silence.

The woman shook her head and called out that this girl must know that it was impossible, that she could not do what she asked of her, and it would be shameful union. The shadow still stayed, somehow insistent in nature. There was a long silence, and within it I felt the strange urge to help this girl, the girl whom I knew it could only be, who loved one whom she had but the barest thread of a chance to be with. Amu clutched my hand tighter, and I knew she was praying for that bare thread as well.

Another woman appeared, one who I recognized from the first trip to the violet well. Her face was fearful and filled with regret as she spoke in a quick, frightened voice, telling of the Daimyo Asano Zembei's demand that he see his daughter's ladies to ask of her mysterious illness that no doctor could cure. She called the woman 'O Matsu'.

O Matsu nodded and followed the girl away, glancing back at the sliding screen. The delicate shadow had slipped away and was gone. Shaking her head in a pitying way, she glided away, and we followed her, through the rooms, making not a sound on the mats as we passed through room after room to the chambers of 'Daimyo Asano Zembei'.

Within, a man with greying hair and a tired face beckoned them closer. The room was plain, very simple, and the air held a careworn touch to it, as if this man had seen so much in all the years of his life and wished only to rest. The women bowed and knelt at his feet before straightening.

The man spoke, asking with a sad expression of his daughter's condition. O Matsu murmured that nothing had changed since that fifth day after the visit to the violet well. A pause, then O Matsu added in a hesitant tone, saying that her mistress suffered from an affliction of the heart, for she loved the one who had saved her and could love no other.

The man was silent. Then, in an important voice, he asked who this saviour was. O Matsu replied, haltingly and reluctantly, that he was Doctor Yoshizawa, mumbling that he was only of the eta, but insisted in a stronger tone that he was handsome, courtly, a man like that of the highest samurai, and that her mistress could love no other.

For a long time, Daimyo Asano was quiet, pursing his lips and furrowing his brow. Then he spoke, telling the women in a stern voice that though he had not consented to the marriage, he would pretend to make inquiries. He fisted his hands, murmuring that he knew this marriage could never take place, but in the days it would take to make an inquiry, perhaps his daughter would be healed enough to accept this. O Matsu lifted her head suddenly, her eyes watery and filled with hope, and she bowed deep and low before the two were motioned out.

The Road of Stars began to glow, and Amu murmured, "Time to go."

Stars so bright they blinded me, and then darkness.

* * *

We stood in Daimyo Asano's room once more. Late evening light burned red through the tatami screens, crickets chirped in the distance, the air hummed with after-dinner noise. The girl sat kneeled in front of her father, her face expectant. Beside him, a beautiful woman bedecked in finery who could only be her mother. The girl's companions sat behind her, heads bowed.

Daimyo Asano began, speaking in a comforting tone, acknowledging her lover. At this, the girl stiffened, as if now expectant of an answer, yet stayed silent. Her father continued, stating that he had made inquiries of him, but led on that he could not accept the union between the two, not with a family so low as Yoshizawa. His tone grew firm; he could not let them be wed, and that there could be no more talk of this.

For an eternity, the girl was silent. I bit back my words, my anger and my urge to yell at him, to see what he had done to his daughter, how he had trapped her as if in a cage. Her shoulders shook, and with a head still bowed, she gave a tiny nod, and her father, unaware of the tears I could see now dripping down her nose, gave her leave.

With that, the girl stood, hiding her face with her hair, and bowed. She was gone without a backwards glance. We followed her out the door, and with a glance at Amu, I saw the desire in her eyes that wished to comfort her, to do something, anything, but we knew that as head of the family, Daimyo Asano's decision was final.

The girl passed through the hall alone, head still lowered, shoulders bent as if she had been broken. And perhaps she was. As we trailed behind her like ghosts, O Matsu appeared. Her expression was that of hope, of earnest belief, and she gently inquired after her mistress.

The young girl stopped. She was quiet, and then she lifted her head. Her eyes were so broken, as if she had been shattered. There was nothing but pain in her face. O Matsu's eyes widened and she froze, transfixed by the pain, before the girl swept away, and once more we dissolved in glittering white and infinite darkness.

* * *

It was midnight now, as we found ourselves once more at the river. The azaleas, the sakura and the sumire, all still in full bloom, raising their scent into the deep night sky that twinkled with its millions of tiny points of light. As before, the wind danced through the trees, rustling the woods in a musical way that caused glossed leaves to shimmer and loose petals to cascade across the skies to join the stars as masters of the heavens. The moon was full tonight, luminous and tranquil, a melancholy and nostalgic beauty that shone its peaceful light on the darkened earth. The river glistened, burbling a quiet song.

The girl sat on the edge of the violet well, dressed in a long, pure white kimono with a shimmering, faintly dusted pattern that suggested tiny sumire. Her face was hidden by her hair, which was loose and flying awry in the blowing wind. She wore no obi, and her kimono had ripped and loosened, its hem torn as if she had run thousands of miles to escape the demons on her heels. Indeed, she wore no shoes, her tiny feet dirty and bruised. She seemed so shrunken, as if she had been crushed into a tiny space. Had I not known otherwise, she could have been a twelve-year-old girl.

For a moment, the wind lifted her silken dark locks from her face to reveal pain, a torture so horrible I could feel it swell in the air. Her heart was utterly, completely shattered, to the point that the tears flooding down her cheeks and the sobs that crashed from her raw throat as she covered her face were not enough, that her trembling shoulders that bore the weight of unmentionable sadness could not describe the utter agony that writhed in her chest.

I could feel tears sliding quietly down my own face, and I could not look away. Amu's grips tightened to breaking point; I could hear the quiet, muffled noises of sadness slipping from Amu's voice, and I knew that this girl, this young woman whose heart laid smashed into a thousand pieces would never find solace for the empty years that stood ahead of her.

The girl lifted her face to the skies, eyes fixed upon the moon in her anguish, as if silently pleading. The moonlight seemed to caress her red cheeks, her swollen, bloodshot eyes that could not truly see the beauty of the world any longer, comforting her in its quiet beauty. The girl bowed her head once more, still crying, glittering tears falling to the ground, as she stood atop the violet well, lifting her head, a graceful crane that swayed atop a mountainous perch.

Then she let herself fall.

A gasp of shock erupted from our throats, and we leapt forward as she fell, throwing out a hand to pull her back up, to save her, but we could not touch her, could not hold her frail little fingers, and she tumbled down, like a rag doll, her body lifeless and her face still caught in that terrible agony, her broken eyes that desired the love she could never have. A distant splash, and she sunk into the depths of the water, never to be seen again. There was the last, fleeting image of large, dark eyes, before they were swallowed up by blackness.

She was gone.

Amu stifled a cry, covering her mouth. I held her then, tears pouring down my cheeks as they had never done before, this pain that this girl had felt, and now she was gone, forever suspended in her solitary pain, and we could never bring her back.

"O Shinge. That was her name, wasn't it?" Amu sobbed. "The Ghost of the Violet Well."

It was a myth, an old folktale of a lord's daughter who was saved by a young doctor from a venomous snake. The two fell in love at first sight, and four days after the event, O Shinge fell mysteriously ill, sick from the ache in her heart. After her servant O Matsu had informed the lord of the truth behind her illness, the Daimyo Asano and his wife rejected the union, but planned on telling their girl they would make inquiries, hoping that after the time it took to make them, O Shinge would accept the refusal easily. But after the ten days they pretended to make inquiries, they informed her of their decision, and O Shinge wept bitterly in her room. The next morning, she was nowhere to be found, and three days later, they found her body in the well. She had drowned herself.

"It wasn't a myth." I held her tighter. "O Shinge is the Demon of Hearts."

The Road of Stars glimmered, a beacon of pure light that seemed empty in this tragedy. We were lifted, borne away into this heavenly river of light, eyes stlll fixed upon the violet well as the violets scattered around it bent to the lonely breeze, and we were pulled into the blackness of night.

* * *

_Over a hundred years ago, a man bedecked in a black mourning kimono stood in front of the violet well. His eyes were filled with agony, with pain and pure sadness, hot tears spilling down his hollow cheeks from his reddened eyes, dripping to the ground like crystals. He fell to his knees at the well, clutching at the worn stones, broken sobs pouring from his throat as he lamented the loss of the woman he loved more than the world itself. His shoulders shook, his back was bowed, an unimaginable anguish._

_It was that day, of the funeral for his lost beloved, that Yoshizawa drowned himself in the violet well._

* * *

_The five Seiyo Academy Guardians stood crouched in the shadows, watching intently as the strange scene before them unfolded. They had been waiting, for the past thirty minutes, for something to happen, still unnoticed as they stood back in their hiding spot behind the large wooden crates pushed back against the edges of the roof._

_One by one, each being in the demon's army turned their heads up to the sky, as if waiting, waiting for something to happen. But the Dream Thief did not move, the army did not attack. They stood and they waited. And eventually the Lock and Key allies turned their heads to the sky as well, expectant, wondering what on Earth was happening._

"_What do we do?" Makoto asked. "They're just standing there. Should we attack?"_

"_No." Ryu shook his head. "We don't know what's happening. Maybe something is going on. We won't do any good by just bursting in. What would we do then?"_

"_We can't transform with the Lock or the Key anyways," Ami added, her thoughts obviously turned towards her sister._

_Mai growled quietly. "It's tense to stand here waiting around. I feel like I'm missing out on something important, and if I don't see what it is , now, I'll miss some big chance."_

_Hikaru's brow furrowed. "I don't like this," He said in his soft, monotone way, his voice cautious. "There's a bad feeling in the air. I feel as if it would be foolish to attack, but my employees..." He spoke the word 'employee' with a hint of fatherly worry._

_It was then, as the five were voicing their aggravation with the current situation, that overhead, the sign they had been waiting for arrived. The last sliver of the moon, still fighting back the bay of darkness, was veiled behind a wall of cloud, and there was darkness._

_Immediately the demon rose, shooting straight up with its back arched as it stared at the dark sky, its skull-like face empty. With an ear-splitting screech, violent energy, exactly like that of an X-Egg, erupted in a beam of dark light, rippling across the roof , knocking back every being. The Guardians cried out and threw up their hands in pitiful defense, but the demonic energy did not quite reach them, fading just so right before them._

_The five leapt forward as the beam of power enveloping the demon expanded. There were screams then, before each and every being collapsed. The Guardians moved as if to come forward, but they could not; it was as if there was a force field surrounding them. Each were suddenly reminded of Tsukasa's words, and the promise they had made. It was then that they knew they could not cross the barrier._

_A flash of movement, and Rima lifted her head, meeting eyes with Ami. Her golden orbs screamed at her to go, a final order. And so Ami turned away with the rest as Rima drooped, moving no more. They left._

* * *

The next thing I knew, I was lying on a hard concrete floor, my knees stinging with impact. The two of us leapt to our feet, taking in our surroundings, tensing, ready to be attacked. The anguished expression of O Shinge still burned in my mind, haunting me.

Nothing.

The hall was empty. Gigantic claw marks scratched the floor and the walls, the beams that supported the ceiling. Broken metal pipes lay scattered everywhere. Puddles of water pooled beneath a scorchmarked slab of concrete, and broken chains dangled from the ceiling. Not a soul remained in the room.

"They're gone!" Ran cried. I blinked, and remembered that she and Yoru and Amu's other guardian characters had been with us the whole time. For the time we had spent, it felt as if Amu and I had been alone with O Shinge.

"Where is everybody?" Amu wondered aloud, drying the tears from her face. "How long have we been gone?"

I inspected the scorchmark, dipping my fingertips in the water and flicking the tiny globes at the mark. They sizzled against the concrete. "Not long. Where could they have gone?"

"They're all still here," Amu murmured. "I can feel it."

Dia spoke. "It makes sense. O Shinge became a spirit, was corrupted with the pain of a broken heart. She grew twisted with her anger and her pain, and became what she is now: a demon that steals Heart's Eggs."

"That makes sense," Miki agreed. "Because in a way, isn't an X-Egg kind of like a broken heart, for your dreams? You've been hurt very badly, because the dreams you hold in your heart are made to seem hopeless or unrealistic. So O Shinge, who dreamed of marrying and spending her life with the one she loved more than anything else, must have—"

"She must have broken her egg." Ran finished, and Miki nodded, her eyes wide. "And that pain of broken dream, mixed with that of a broken heart..."

"So she drowned herself~desu," Su whimpered, wiping away her tears.

"That's so horrible," Yoru mumbled. "That must've been painful~nya..."

"So as a spirit with a broken heart and broken dreams, she wouldn't... move on," Dia said softly. "She would stay here, stuck and filled with anger for those who hurt her and regret for the life she could have lived. She became a vengeful spirit, burning out who she used to be and replacing it with all her revenge."

"Like if you got a leg wound, and it got infected, or it didn't heal right," Ran murmured. "And you let that leg wound take over everything, so it was ruled over everything you did and it changed you."

"And so you became just a shell of what you used to be, filled with hatred and malice and vengeance."

With those miserable words, a loud crash and a thump pierced the air, and we whirled around in time to see the Guardians, panting and sweating heavily, arriving at the bottom of the staircase.

"Ami!" Amu rushed forward and hugged her sister, who smiled weakly in exhaustion. "What happened? What's going on?"

"They've been captured," Hikaru said quietly. "We were all captured when you disappeared. We were brought to the rooftop for some reason, and then we managed to escape. The others are still up there."

I bit back a curse. Amu bit her lip and told them, "You guys need to get out of here. We can take care of it now. Find a way out, and _do not get caught."_

"But—"

"Go!"

They looked at one another, then nodded. Ami hugged her sister one last time, and then the five kids sprinted off. Amu and I turned back to the staircase. A glance at each other, and then we were off, up the staircase to where the fate of our friends lay.

* * *

**Amu**

A bead of sweat slid down my brow as I flew up the staircase, transformed as Amulet Diamond. Ikuto leapt gracefully atop the stair rails, eyes focused on the final door as we approached, soaring towards the door; there was no time to think, we had reached the door, and there was little choice but to burst through it in the hopes that our friends had not yet gone—

It was dark. That was the first thing I noticed. Tonight was supposed to be a full moon, but thick, dark clouds hid it from view, cloaking it in a fine darkness. I had expected an attack, for something to come flying right at me, but it was silent. As my eyes adjusted, I saw, to my utter shock, that every body, from the frail, minuscule figures of the fae, to the gargantuan trolls, from the big, slender werewolves to the white-faced vampires, all lay motionless, prostate on the ground. I rushed to the side of Utau, who lay closest to me, and gasped in relief as her strong pulse beat beneath my fingers. Her eyes danced beneath her lids, as if dreaming.

Ikuto stood over Tadase, whose right side was soaked with blood, and let out a sigh, his face relaxing a fraction. "Well, they're not dead, not yet at least."

"The demon." I jumped to my feet and turned, eyes scanning the strange scene around me.

There she lay, her twisted and alien humanoid form hunched over the ground, quite still. Her deformed head stayed bowed, even as we approached her. For the first time, it was not fear that I felt for the Demon of Hearts any longer. It was pity. I grieved for this girl, who could only have been around my age, and had only ever asked to spend the rest of her life beside the one she loved.

As we drew nearer to her, I felt a low thrum on my chest and looked down to see my Lock glittering with light. Ikuto lifted his Key, which also glowed, and we joined hands. A strong wave of sleepiness slid over my head, a yawn escaped my throat, and suddenly I found myself on my knees on the ground. The rest of the world seemed to fall away, till I was moving in a black tunnel, reaching my hand out to the shell of a dead girl, unsure why I was doing so. Soft, comforting whispers from the darkness promised me it was right, and yet...

Then my hand touched her. She felt just like a normal human being, I thought dizzily. I was vaguely aware of Ikuto drooping beside me before I blacked out, lost in the twilight of dreams.

* * *

**Preview:**

_"Character Transformation: Radiant Dream!"_

* * *

**Once, one of you asked me, 'why ghost?' This is your answer.**

**The Ghost of the Violet Well is a real myth from Japan. The story takes place in Yoshinoyama, in the Valley of Shimizutani. I think there is actually a real violet well there, although I'm not entirely sure. ****You can google it to read the full story. **

**And guess what? **

**Yoshinoyama is, according to Google Maps, an island that is relatively close to Osaka.**

**Read and Review!**


	44. Part Three: Radiant Dream

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer is here!**

**_THIS CHAPTER MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE_ unless you read it from the beginning to end! Sorry, I know it's long, but this is it, you know? From here on out, the Demon of Hearts is no longer the main antagonist, because, well... you'll see. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Tadase**

For a moment, I had no idea where or who I was. I was only aware that I was standing outside of Amu's house, staring at my twelve-year-old self burst out of the door with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Kiseki, where am I?" I asked my guardian character. But he was nowhere to be seen.

I realized then I must be in some sort of memory. The scene was entirely familiar. It was four years ago, and I was in love with Amu Hinamori. This was the day I had found out Ikuto was crashing at Amu's place, and had run away crying. The memory was old and sad, but it wasn't one that I felt much pain over anymore.

Either way, the experience was so vivid, it felt as I had truly been placed inside the memory itself. Something about this particular memory made me feel uneasy, even as I watched myself run and began to chase myself. Something wasn't quite right...

It was dark as I ran after myself, sprinting as I fled into the darkness, quickly overtaking myself before I reached the street and desperately grabbing my shoulder. My other self froze.

Suddenly I was aware of everything that happened and everything I felt, intermingling with other memories that surged up in front of my eyes. Watching Amu as she smiled up at Ikuto, forgetting everything else and ignoring the defeat I already felt in my heart... forced to sit there in silence as Ikuto took my spot with ease, held her hand, kissed her lips, kept the spot in her heart where I had always wanted to be...

It was then that the earth fell away beneath my feet, and I was falling, falling, falling, into the darkness, where it was suffocating. I couldn't see, couldn't breathe, and evil laughter echoed in the pitch black. I was dreaming. But it was not a dream that ended with me waking. I knew I was dying. This nightmare, this horror was literally killing me from the inside, somehow poisoned, yet these memories were still in their original form, pure, untouched. It was the emotions, the unrequited love and its constant torment, that rotted away within me.

I panicked. "Hey!" I shouted, trying to escape, to claw my way out of this black pit, yet still I fell. Nothing made any sense any more, why was I falling. Why had I arrived here, at this memory? Where was Kiseki? Why had I followed myself, why was I here, what was going on, why didn't I understand…? Who was I?

A voice of anguish, a voice I dimly recognized as my own, moaned in pain. "She doesn't love me back... Amu doesn't love me back... Why doesn't she love me?"

But that's not right, I thought vaguely. Why would I want her to love me back? I loved Nadeshiko, not Amu, at least not anymore.

The voice stopped, and for the barest moment, so did the pain.

And suddenly I saw Nadeshiko, Nadeshiko Fujisaki, smiling at me, inches away and yet miles apart. She gave a giggle that echoed, her contagious smile infecting me.

Then I saw Nagihiko, Ikuto, Utau, Kukai, Yaya, Rima, Kairi, Amu.

Amu had been the girl I had fallen so deeply in love with, who I had loved for so long. She could never be mine. But that was okay, wasn't it? Because I had finally moved on.

Maybe it didn't always turn out that way, and maybe I'd still be in love with her if it wasn't for the fact I'd found someone else. But I'd done my best to try, hadn't I? It was time for me to let go.

"Hello, Tadase."

Kiseki, my guardian character in his kingly robes and snobbish attitude. I grinned, and I reached out and took Nadeshiko's hand.

* * *

**Utau**

I blinked, looking around in confusion. "Where am I?" I wondered aloud. "Il? El?" Nothing. "Where is everybody?"

I stood in front of the Easter Corporation headquarters, as if waiting on the steps for something to arrive. But how had I gotten here? Hadn't I been at the top of some warehouse seconds ago?

The door opened from the skyscraper behind me, and I watched in astonishment as my fourteen-year-old self walked out with a fierce look on her face, standing next to Yukari-chan. We both carried large boxes.

"What the hell is going on here?" I muttered to myself. It seemed as if I'd been dumped in an old memory. It was from when I'd still been a puppet to Easter. It was also the night that Yukari-chan and I had almost flown in a helicopter to L.A. to broadcast my "Black Diamond" song to the whole world via radio waves and the internet.

Well, obviously they couldn't see me, as they were headed right towards me and were looking right through me, so that 'ripping-apart-the-space-time-continuum-if-you-make-contact-with-your-old-self' didn't apply here. But what was the point of being here, in the first place? Whatever it was, something felt off, weird, even a little ominous. Even Il, El, and the X-Dia didn't notice me, although X-Dia looked around in confusion when she drifted past me.

"Hm." As my younger self passed with her glum look, I reached out and touched her, just to see if she was real, and gasped.

Immediately I was delved into darkness, surrounded by the emotions and the sadness, every memory that was connected to the darkness of this part in my life story.

The loneliness I had felt, how I had not had a single friend for so long, seemed to slap me right in the face. I had done my best, always working the hardest, trying to be the winner, the top, but I was so alone, so uncared for. The dim look of my mother's eyes, the unmerciful nature of everyone at Easter, the emptiness in Ikuto's face whenever he saw me... I had spent so many years, rejected, alone, never truly being what everyone wanted me to be. I was not my father for my mother. I was not freedom for Ikuto. I was not perfect enough for Easter. And I was not good enough even for myself.

Still I pushed on, hoping that I would finally have everything I want if I won, if I was the top, the leader, the queen. I had become an international idol, people everywhere loved me, and still nothing was enough to be perfect. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't. Now, I no longer knew who I even was; my memories began to fade, my very identity stripping away, pain disintegrating everything...

I fell through the darkness, blinded by the visions. A voice I dimly recognized as my own wailed, "I'm not good enough, why am I never good enough?"

"That's wrong," I murmured, and the pain stopped. "That's wrong," I said a little louder, and the voice stopped.

Yes, this was it. This was the seed that had rotted away inside me. And now it was time to cleanse myself. "That's wrong!" I called out. "Yeah, I'm not always going to be the best in what I do! So maybe I can't be what everyone wants me to be! I'm still me, I'm still Utau. No matter what, I will always be me, and no one in the world is like me. If people don't think I'm good enough for them, then they're wrong. This is the only me they'll get, and I am perfect the way I am."

And then I saw Kukai, then Ikuto, my brother, who smiled down at me. Next to him appeared Tadase, then Amu, Rima and Yaya and Kairi, Nagihiko and Nadeshiko. All stood smiling. I smiled back.

"Utau-chan!" Il and El popped into existence.

"Hello again, you two." I laughed aloud, and suddenly it didn't seem dark at all. This was it, I told myself.

Then I reached out and took Kukai's hand.

* * *

**Rima**

The sound of vicious shouts reached my ears before I even opened my eyes.

I stood in my room, except it was from when I was younger, with different posters and different clutter in their rightful places, before Amu and Nagihiko the clean freaks had broken in and ruined it and I'd fixed it again.

Except this time, my twelve-year-old self huddled in a ball under the worn covers of my bed, shoulders shaking.

"Am I in the past?" I murmured, trying to add up the situation and coming up with nothing. I'd just been on the rooftop of some old warehouse, and now I was... inside an old memory? And now Kusukusu was gone?

It seemed as if I really were here. From the particularly angry shouts, I knew it had to have been fairly close to the end of my parent's marriage. Certainly it was after I'd transferred schools to Seiyo Academy; there was my guardian cape lying on the back of a chair. Yes, lying on my desk was a picture with Amu, Yaya and I, taken early in the spring. This was just before my parents had agreed to get a divorce. It was probably even their last fight before the papers were drawn up. Well, this certainly wasn't a happy memory.

The volume increased, and the sound of breaking glass and loud thumps reached my ears. I started, and my little self flinched. In pity I reached out a hand without thinking, to comfort myself (that sounds weird), do something at least.

The second I touched her, she stiffened, and a gaping pit opened beneath my feet. I fell, gasping in surprise and fear, tumbling through the dark.

I could feel everything, see everything; every happy and unhappy memory before my eyes, the story of my life thrown into relief. I remembered my old saying: 'nothing lasts forever'. And that's what I had believed. My mama and papa had once loved each other, but now they hated each other fighting every day and finally splitting up. I had once had friends, before they stopped respecting me and being true and started pitying me and treated me as if I were a delicate flower, not as a true person. I had once been happy, but that had disappeared in the blink of an eye. And now I was falling into nothingness, pain surging through my limbs and erasing everything, and soon I would be gone, maybe forever...

"It never lasts," My younger voice echoed tonelessly into the darkness. "Happiness never lasts."

It doesn't, does it, I thought. Nothing really ever lasts forever. Maybe it does for a long time, maybe for a short time. Sometimes happiness lasts for years, but it never stays forever. Life always messes things up for you.

But that's life, isn't it? I thought, bewildered. Of course happiness can't last forever. That's what makes it so precious, right? You have to treasure it, don't you? Work at it so you can truly be happy?

And suddenly Nagihiko appeared before me. He smiled at me as he always did, and I found I didn't feel the pain anymore.

Then Amu, my best friend, and Yaya, and Nadeshiko, Tadase, Utau, Kukai, Kairi, Ikuto. They all had wide beams across their faces, as if I had done something and now they were so proud of me.

"Idiots," I muttered fondly. "I totally knew what I was doing the whole time."

"Rimaaaa!" Kusukusu appeared and made a funny face. I laughed, and then reached out and took Nagihiko's hand.

* * *

**Nagihiko**

I couldn't explain how I got here or even what I was doing here. Rhythm and Temari were gone, and it made no sense how I'd gotten here of all places from the abandoned warehouse's rooftop. All I knew was that I was staring at my eleven-year old self, dressed as Nadeshiko, standing in the Seiyo Academy elementary library with three other Guardians.

From the bright light and the clean breeze that brought the scent of flowers through the window, I recognized the time as late spring. In fact, from the surprised and saddened looks on all the young Guardians faces and the absence of Amu, I guessed it was the day I had told my friends that I was leaving to study dance in Europe. It wasn't a happy memory by any means, but it was one I still remembered clearly. Apparently it was clear enough for me to step into it, as vivid as if I were actually there.

I stepped forward, unsure whether or not they could see me. "Hello?"

No answer; they continued to talk in hushed, worried whispers as if I wasn't standing here. Tadase asked my younger self if I had told Amu, and my face grew pale and my eyes grew conflicted. I followed myself to the window, where I stood behind myself.

Outside the window, just as I'd remembered, was Amu, who noticed my younger self and waved, smiling brightly. My younger self's shoulders seemed smaller than ever before, and he gave a sad little wave before turning away.

"How strange," I murmured as my younger self brushed past me. His shoulder touched my chest, and I gasped, stumbling back as a wave of emotion and memory surged through my body. I grabbed at the chair behind me, but suddenly it wasn't there, and I fell, before everything was swallowed up in the blink of an eye by darkness.

I tumbled through empty space, bewildered by the sense of shame and conflict now raging madly inside my head. A strange acidic burn seeped painfully into my skin. Suddenly I was remembering everything, the many days I had fooled those closest to me. It had hurt so much, as badly as this acid touch felt now, to lie to those I cared for, who believed I was innocent when I was anything but that. It had hurt to lie to Amu most of all, she who had been my best friend and who had trusted me with her deepest emotions, and who I couldn't even trust to tell her who I really was.

My young voice echoed through the darkness, ringing in my ears and blocking out everything else. "I lied to everyone," My voice moaned in anguish. "I'm a _liar..."_

The accusing word pulsed in my ears to the beat of my slowing heart, or maybe to the rasping breaths from my raw throat. _Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar._

I'm dying, I thought distantly, as the word pierced again and again in my heart. I'm dying a bad man...

"I'm sorry," I breathed, a final hiss. "I'm so sorry..."

It seemed the pain receded for a moment, and my stinging eyes widened. "I'm sorry," I said louder. "But what's done is done." With each word, the darkness seemed to recede just a little. "I know I shouldn't have done it in the first time. The best I can do is do my best to make up for everything I did and try my hardest never to lie again."

Huge, chocolate brown eyes blinked at me, and I started as Rima appeared, standing over me and rolling her eyes at me fondly. Then Amu, Tadase, Kukai, then Yaya and Utau, Ikuto, Kairi.

"Silly, now what are you doing down there?" Temari and Rhythm popped into existence. Temari giggled and Rhythm laughed.

"Jump, dude!" Rhythm told me.

I grinned, then took Rima's hand and leapt.

* * *

**Kukai**

"This is kinda strange," I mumbled, rubbing my head in confusion as I stared around me.

There wasn't really a good explanation for why I was standing in the middle of a soccer field, watching a younger version of myself play in a primary school soccer game. It was kind of freaky, I'l tell you that, seeing as I could've sworn I'd just been knocked out by a particularly nasty troll that took a particular dislike to me because I'd kicked it in in a spot where the sun didn't particularly shine. After that, I'd kind of blacked out, and suddenly I'd found myself here. I hadn't been to this old field for years.

"Pass! PASS! I'm OPEN!" My younger self had escaped from the cloud of defensive players surrounding him (er, me?) and was waving his hands wildly as he sprinted down the field, free for just a fraction of second. Across the field another boy spun, dodged, and kicked the ball neatly across the field. My younger self (I?) caught the ball and turned, sprinting down the field and sent it flying, up over the heads of the other players and my old team, aimed right at the left top corner of the goal—

The soccer ball dipped just by a fraction, and the goalie caught it. The buzzer went of, and the game had ended, with us just a point behind from a tie.

"I think I remember this," I said in surprise. I mean, I'd had a lot of soccer games in my time, so it's not like I remembered every single game I'd played, but this one seemed a tiny bit familiar. I thought this was the one where I'd missed that one shot and I'd felt pretty bad, since it meant that we wouldn't be undefeated for the fifth year running, which my team was really hoping for. Anyways, I'd felt guilty, but then what was the point of letting it bring me down? My team certainly wasn't that broken up over it, so there was no point in crying over spilt milk, right? I'd just shrugged it off and moved on. In fact, I was surprised I still remembered it.

Lost in thought, I hadn't exactly realized what was going on around me, which meant that when my younger self sprinted right into me, I lost my balance and fell.

And then kept falling. "WHOA!" I waved my arms wildly as I tumbled through the darkness like a mad chicken or something, the world dissolving around me into darkness.

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I fell. A strange, acidic pain began to sting, pressing like damp air into my skin and clinging to my flesh. "ARRGHHH!" I slapped at my arms; it felt like a swarm of bugs was eating away at every inch of me. For another countless time since the demon had come to Osaka, I felt afraid.

"I lost," My younger voice shouted. "I lost."

"OOOOWWW!" I yelled.

"I lost!"  
'I heard you the first time!" I called furiously. "Do you want me to feel sorry for you?"

A pause, then the sensation of what felt almost like confusion. I swatted at the air around me. The pain seemed to recede for just a moment.

"Yeah, you lost," I shouted. "I lost. I let my friends down. But you're not always going to win, okay?! Just accept that sometimes you can't win. There are time when you're defeated. But you can't let loss bring you down." I closed my eyes, sighing as the pain faded away entirely. Bright light burned through my eyelids. "Learn from your mistakes, don't let them become your chains."

And then I saw Utau, laughing at me like I was hilarious. Next to her stood Tadase, smiling innocently in that sparkly way of his. Yaya gave a childish giggle. Nagihiko grinned, Amu and Nadeshiko sparkle-attacked me, Rima rolled her eyes and muttered impatiently, Kairi pushed up his glasses and chuckled, and Ikuto crossed his arms, smirking like the pervert he was.

"Kukai!" Daichi appeared next to me, winking cheekily and kicking a miniature soccer ball aloft.

"Where were you?" I asked him, ruffling his hair fondly.

"You kid." Utau snorted.

"Heh." I laughed as she held out her hand, then took it and pulled her down with me.

* * *

**Yaya**

You know, you'd think that being chained up on a rooftop with a broken thumb surrounded by a bunch of supernatural beings you didn't know existed would be the most jarring thing ever. Apparently passing out and waking up sitting in a chair in a room filled to the brim with cheering people was more surprising.

"WHOA!" I fell out of the metal chair I'd been sitting in, totally shocked. I was sitting in a room filled with tons of people, all staring up proudly the stage, where I saw a younger version of Amu, Tada, Rima and Nagi all standing along with the rest of their class, except now they all were really young.

"Pepe, it's their graduation ceremony!" I said aloud, then blinked in surprise. "Pepe?"

She was gone.

I shivered. "Scary," I muttered to myself. "Where'd she go?" I looked next to me.

And then flipped out. "AHHH!"

It's very scary to see that you're sitting next to your ten-year-old self, let me just tell you that! I mean, I was totes cute and all that, but it's still pretty freaky, especially if you already have no idea how you got where you were!

This dream, or whatever it was I was experiencing, wasn't really a sad memory, but it wasn't totally happy either. Today was the day that all my older friends had graduated, leaving me behind to become junior high students. I mean, it was exciting and and all, but everything was changing. Everyone was leaving. I remember thinking that I really didn't like change, because it was so scary. I'd be running the Guardians as the oldest, and therefore I had to be more mature. But that wasn't my character at all...

"Fuuu..." I lifted a tentative hand, then poked at my self, curious.

"Oh my gosh!" I squealed as everything dissolved, including the ground underneath my feet, and I fell.

"WAAAHHHHH!" I waved my limbs wildly, kicking and crying out. Adrenaline flooded through my veins as I zoomed through the black hole. Pain shot through my limbs, and I bit my lip from yelling, even as I tumbled through the darkness without rhyme or reason.

It was getting harder and harder to think. All my saddest and most regretful memories were zooming in front of my eyes like a film reel on fast-forward. All the regret I'd felt for the change in my life, all the wishes that my friends wouldn't leave me behind and I wouldn't be alone for so long, that people would stop expecting me to grow up and be mature filled me with a pain deeper than the agony that soaked into my skin.

"I don't want to change," My voice cried suddenly, echoing through the walls of dark that blocked out everything. "I'm scared to change!"

"I don't want to change, either!" I yelled, bewildered. "But I have to change if I want to live my life!"

Suddenly I stopped whirling, frozen suddenly in this pit. I held back the bile in my throat from both the vertigo and this rot that was still inside my heart. "You—you have to change," I said weakly. "Changing isn't something you can just avoid for your whole life, because if you never change, then you lose any new chance to be happy." I insisted, growing stubborn. "Sometimes things happen that aren't fair, and sometimes things happen that make you sad and empty and broken inside. That's not a good change at all. But if you want to be happy again, you can't go back to the time before when you were happy. You have to make a new change that will lead to a new happiness."

The pain began to fade, and I breathed in slowly and deeply, smiling at all the memories. "I used to be hate change. I was brokenhearted when Kukai and Nadeshiko left, because I loved him, and I'd known her forever. But then Rima and Kairi came, and Nagihiko came back..." I trailed off. "And even after Amu and the others left, I made new friends and kept up with my old friends. Why should I stay in the past and regret every change that I don't like when I can look to the future and make new changes that lead to me being happy? WHOA!"

The darkness dissolved, and I was completely enveloped in white light. I let out a violent string of curse words I'd never thought would ever come from my mouth and tumbled backwards, before realizing I could stand again. When I stumbled to my feet, there stood Kairi, smiling down at me and shaking his head in exasperation. Amu came up beside him, then Kukai, Tadase, Rima, Nagi, Utau and Nadeshiko and Ikuto. Kukai ruffled my hair, Tadase grinned in a sparkly way, Rima grumbled and rolled her eyes, Nagi and Nade gave calm smiles, and Utau muttered 'little kid' under her breath.

"Hey, Sugar High," Ikuto smirked, throwing his arm around Amu.

"What do you mean, Sugar _High?!"_

"A true baby is a baby no matter what life throws at her, ~dechu." Pepe settled atop my head. "You are a true baby."

"Yaaaay!" I laughed and, completely ignoring Kairi's outstretched hand, flung myself forward and knocked over them all.

* * *

**Kairi**

I turned in a slow circle, staring at my surroundings in confusion. After I had passed out, I had woken up here, in the darkness of night in an outer hallway at Seiyo Academy. I was positive I had been on a rooftop only moments ago, yet here I stood, where the light from stars filtered into the hallway.

"Musashi?" I murmured. But he was gone, and his egg was nowhere to be found. This only contributed to the uneasy sensation that something about this occurrence was ominous.

Soft footsteps came from behind me, and I turned, then froze in shock. A younger version of myself, perhaps when I was nine years of age, tiptoed past me with a wary and nervous look on his face. In his hand he held a bag, within which I realized were Black Diamond CDs.

So this was like a memory, I realized. It had been this day that I had been caught by my friends as a spy for Easter. It was certainly not a happy memory, but why I was here of all places, without Musashi, was suspicious.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," My self said tersely to Musashi, who didn't seem to notice me.

There were footsteps once more, and I knew already what would happen, a pit of guilt forming in my stomach as Amu, Tadase, Rima and Yaya all appeared behind me, calling out.

"Oh—Iinchou! You're here! We were just saying..."

The Black Diamond CDs dropped to the ground and spilled out of the bag. "Huh? What's this?" A younger Amu stared at the CDs, along with Tadase and Yaya.

"... Was it you?"

I turned to my younger self, watching his reaction, grimly nudging a CD with my toe.

And then the ground swallowed me up, pulling me into stinging darkness.

The memories of betrayal whirled in front of my eyes, reminding me of everything that I'd sad and done. My friends had trusted me, and I betrayed them, willing to pretend that I cared, but really, I was ready to hurt them, to turn on them on a moment's notice, ready to be their enemy.

"Traitor." My younger voice pierced my ears, striking shame into my heart. "I'm a traitor."

"It really was a bad choice," I mumbled. "There's nothing I can do to change it..."

I realized suddenly that I could no longer feel the pain. That's it. "It's not always enough, it's not ever going to be enough, but I can't change the past," I said aloud. "I know what I did was wrong. I know I should never have done it. And a lot of people were hurt because of me. There's nothing I can do to fix everything and everyone I hurt."

I closed my eyes. "I will always be ashamed of what I did. But I guess that's it, isn't it?" I smiled sadly. "Even after I did something so terrible, my friends forgave me. That sort of forgiving nature doesn't always happen, because betraying another person is such an unforgivable act. So I guess... I'll always be living with this. All that's left that I can do is forgive myself for what I've done and do my best to move on."

I blinked. For a moment, I thought I'd seen a flash of caramel hair and a red sparkle. Then Yaya appeared in front of me, giggling and smiling at me in her young, childish way I loved so much. Then Amu, Tadase, Rima, and Utau, Nagihiko, Kukai, Ikuto and Nadeshiko. Each smiled at me, and I remembered just how thankful I was that I had the luck to have friends willing to forgive me for what I'd done.

"A samurai must choose an honest path." Musashi popped in front of my face.

I smiled. "... Yes."

And I let Yaya glomp me.

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

The moment I came to consciousness, I fell to my knees and cried.

Perhaps it was simply another nightmare, and perhaps I'd been trapped within my own mind, confronting the deepest, darkest things in my heart. It didn't matter. Here I stood, in my old room in the old orphanage I had once called home, and it was burning.

As I knew from reliving this night after night, the walls seeped with flames and poured stifling heat and dangerous fumes into the air. I choked, falling to my knees and crawling desperately to the door, clawing my way through it, collapsing in the hallway. Fear shot through my bones—fire had caught to my shirt, and I stifled it quickly by rolling, biting my lip from the pain. God, this was real, real enough, and I could die...

I let out a sob and dashed further down the hall, covering my ears and shuddering from the evil cackles of Lady ringing through the roar of the flames.

Suddenly I rammed into a door, and gasped as it nudged open. It was as if I had not gone anywhere; I was right in front of Hisashi's room, which was only next door to mine.

This was the only way to get out of here. Lifting a trembling hand, I pushed the door open further and stepped inside. And there was my sixteen-year-old self, lamenting her pain to the lifeless form of the boy she loved. My eyes widened in shock—never, not once in every nightmare had I seen myself in my younger form standing where I had always been. I moved slowly as if in a dream, tears still sliding down my face, and touched just the fingertips of my left hand to my self's cheek.

The flames roared up in a blazing inferno, surging white-yellow and orange around me. I fell backwards, screaming as I huddled in a ball, shaking as the heat slapped at me.

The flames died, and the ground seemed to dissolve from beneath me, and I was falling, screaming as I plunged into a black hole dark enough to leave me completely blind. My flesh seemed ablaze—it felt as if I were on fire, the agony was so horrible. Yet this pain that I felt was nothing compared to the torture of the memories that swirled inside of my head, accompanied by the torment of a broken heart, of a lost self, of infinite fear that hounded me night and day.

"I couldn't save Hisashi," My voice sobbed, ripping at the very sanity within my mind. "I let him die. I'm a coward..."

"I'm not a coward." My voice shook. "I'm so, so sorry... But it's not my fault..." I curled up in a ball, shuddering and whimpering as flames licked at my skin. "I was terrified, I was so scared," I pleaded desperately. "It wasn't my decision to make whether he lived or died anymore. I can't blame myself, because..." I took a deep breath, shivering like ice filled my bones though my body was ablaze with invisible fire. "I am brave."

The pain was beginning to fade; I gulped in air, slowly uncurling from my ball. My mind was beginning to clear. "Fear will always be there," I whispered. "It will always be there, in the darkness of your heart, held back only by your own bravery. But bravery doesn't mean that you have no fear, that you are unafraid of anything. True bravery is the ability to feel absolute, complete Fear... and have the strength to overcome it."

There was a flash of blinding light, and I gasped, feeling as light as a feather, as if every demon at my heels had been banished, every festering thought cleansed from my mind. Before me appeared Nagihiko, Tadase, Amu and Rima, Utau and Yaya, Kukai, Ikuto, Kairi. Broad smiles split their faces; I felt my heart leap at the sight of them, the people who I cared so much for.

"You did it, Nade!" Azumi floated in front of my face, giggling happily and hugging my cheek. "You finally let go!"

"I did it," I said tremulously, and turned to my friends. "I did it."

And with that, they stepped forward and embraced me.

* * *

**Ikuto**

The first thing I knew what that I couldn't control myself.

It was immediately apparent that I had no jurisdiction over my own body. It was as if I had been trapped inside my own head, screaming and yelling, unable to do anything but move as if I were a marionette.

I was perfectly aware of everything. I could see everything clearly, still see the vivid white stars in the sky above me. But I no longer stood upon the rooftop to a warehouse. Now, I was inside a memory.

I came to realize this the second I knew I couldn't control my body. I had only felt this when I had been controlled by Easter with my X-energy infected violin. It had been dark and terrifying, forced to stand and play hour after hour nonstop, fighting the people I loved, yet there had been nothing I could do. All that was possible was the use of my little strength to fight the mournful voice that sneered at me, tried to force me to give in entirely and submit my will to them. It had been without a doubt the most physically taxing thing I had undergone.

I slipped my grip on my mind for a moment, and then I lost everything, falling into darkness as the evil whispers took over, and I floated within the constraints of my own mind, trapped as my skin iced over and stung with biting cold. There was no escape from Easter, and there was no escape from the torture of my own mind.

"No one can save me," My voice, monotone and empty, rang out through the lifeless dark. "I have to do this alone..."

"But I'm not alone," I said quietly, even as I began to drift away. "I was never alone to begin with. There was always someone there for me. There will always be someone there wanting to help, no matter if it's a complete stranger or someone who I've known my whole lifetime. Just because I want to do something alone doesn't mean I need to do it that way." I smiled at the thought of Amu, of Utau and Tadase and all my friends, both younger and older than I. "Maybe I don't feel like anyone should shoulder my burdens but me." My expression brightened as the darkness around me dissipated. "But there's nothing wrong with help."

Amu appeared then, and Utau and Tadase, Kukai, Kairi, Nadeshiko, Rima, Nagihiko, Yaya. Each were smiling at me in their little kiddie way. I grinned. "Sometimes... I guess you just can't stand on your own."

"That's right~nya!" Yoru peeked down at me from atop my head, licking my forehead with his rough pink tongue. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Amu started, putting her hands on her hips. I swore her eyes said 'great-it's-kitty-cosplay-boy'.

I laughed. "Stick a needle in my eye."

And I pulled her in for a kiss.

* * *

**Amu**

I opened my eyes and sat up. I was in my room, evening light filtering in from the balcony. The sound of shouting on the TV downstairs and dinner talk reached my ears. But, something was a little off...I got to my feet, crossing my arms and shivering. It was unnaturally cold, not like it usually was. "Ran? Miki? Su? Dia? Where are you guys?"

My four guardian characters were nowhere to be seen. In fact... it was as if they had never existed in the first place. There were no photos of 'Nadeshiko' and Yaya and I, not of Rima and Utau, or Kukai and Tadase, or of Kairi or Ikuto. My little chara-box had disappeared, along with so many of my old things and relics from the past four years. Old posters I had long discarded hung fresh on my walls, and lying on the back of my chair was my old schoolbag from elementary school.

I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. Still sixteen, no longer transformed and in the clothes I had worn when I was kidnapped. The Humpty Lock was still in its usual position resting over my heart.

Footsteps pounding up the staircase made me freeze in surprise, and my door opened. I couldn't move for shock: there in front of me stood my younger self, in all her eleven-year-old glory. She didn't wear the Humpty Lock. From the open door, I could hear Saeki Nobuko rambling of more of her spiritual mumbo-jumbo. I caught the words 'guardian angel' in there.

"I'm in a memory?" I said aloud, recognizing the similarities between this and O Shinge's memories. It was the same sort of thing; I was really here, inside a memory like I had been dropped in a magic box that replayed that memory over and over again.

My younger self plopped down on the bed, looking anxious and frightened before she flipped out.

"Aaargh!" She wailed. "That was close! What was that?! I seriously don't like the occult..." She moaned, huddling in a tiny ball. "Now I'm too scared to take a bath... if I see monsters or something scary in there..."

"I remember this," I murmured. It was the memory of the night before I'd gotten my guardian characters.

My younger self let out a muffled scream of frustration into her pillow. "I'm sick and tired of being my outer character!" Then she went still and pulled herself upright, breathing hard.

In a strange sense of sympathy, I crossed over her, wanting to say something, but she couldn't see or hear me. "I know," I whispered, and sat down beside myself, her shoulder brushing my arm.

And suddenly the bed next to me disappeared, and I was falling through darkness. I screamed, flailing my arms about me, the scene above me disappearing. Loud, echoing shouts rang through the darkness as feelings raged violently through my bones, buffeting me back and forth in stunned confusion. An acidic pain began to seep through my body, through my bones and into my heart.

My outer character had a life of its own..." My younger voice rang out through the darkness. "I want to feel cute and be who I really am... but I can't now, because that's not my true character..."

That's right, I thought. I had felt so lonely before my guardian characters. I'd eaten lunch alone, walked to and from school and all my classes alone, I didn't have any friends... I had been 'too cool' and popular for any other girl to feel like she could get close to me. What was the point of being distant and 'cool and spicy' if I was isolated to the point that no one even knew the real me? I'd wanted to be a cuter and more honest girl, but...

"That's not my character," My younger self cried aloud, as if she had heard my thoughts. "That's not who I really am... I'm not good enough..."

I frowned. "That's wrong," I said quietly. The pain began to recede, and I said louder, in a stronger voice, "That's wrong!

"I know I wasn't always perfect when I was younger," I went on. "I know that my outer character wasn't who I really was inside. And yeah, I was scared. But so what? Just because you're imperfect doesn't mean you can't still shine!" The strength returned to my limbs, and the darkness began to recede. "I tried my best to become the person I always wanted to be!" I shouted. "I believed in myself, I believe in my own inner sparkle and guess what? _I am radiant!"_

With an explosion, the darkness was gone, swallowed up with light. Ikuto stood in front of me, grinning in his usual perverted way. There was Tadase, Utau, Rima, Nagihiko, there was Kukai and Yaya and Kairi and Nadeshiko, all smiling at me.

Four eggs, one red, one blue, one green, and one yellow sparkled into existence, and with a crack and a shout of "Amu!" Ran, Miki, Su and Dia appeared in front of me.

"You did it, Amu!" Ran cried.

Miki laughed. "You cleansed yourself!"

"Myself?" I said in wonder.

"That's right, ~desu," Su twirled happily.

Dia nodded, smiling proudly at me. "It was a kind of dream state. You were facing a dark part in your heart, conjured up by the Dream Thief. You wouldn't have made it out, but you fought back and cleansed yourself!"

I sweat-dropped. "So you're saying I would've died if I kept dreaming?"

"Yep!" The four giggled.

I turned back to my friends, who were looking at me with expectance. "Then I guess it's time to wake up."

And I took Ikuto's hand.

* * *

**All**

**_"Character transformation... Radiant Dream!"_**

The light-world in which the ten glowed so bright we were blinded by the sudden appearance of colour and the pure shine of an untainted dream. When the light had died, we found ourselves back again, floating a foot above the ground like ghosts. Euphoria radiated from every inch of our beings; each of us were literally aglow, our forms nothing but light that glittered, and yet though our features were so indistinguishable, we seemed to know without a doubt who each of us were.

The moon had slipped from its veil of clouds to reveal itself in all its fantastic glory, loosing its glow on the world of night below. We were back on the rooftop, where the rest of the bodies lay motionless and the effervescent glow of the spirits dimmed and frozen. It was exactly as it was when we had left.

All of this happened in less than a minute. There was no need for words; not a single sound escaped our lips. It seemed as if we were aware of everything each of us felt, understood, knew, as one.

It was not a second later that the presence of darkness rose and swelled from behind us. A quick turn, and each of our ten figures leapt out of the way as the place we had all been floating a fraction of a second ago erupted with violent X-energy, leaving the sweet scent of rot and sadness singing the air in its place.

Immediately we lifted our hands as we flew to the side, shooting sparkling iridescent energy straight at her, catching her in a bright spectrum and enveloping her in a shield of our dream power. She shrieked, throwing back her head and flinging her limbs wide. Cracks in the white 'armour', black shining through, then it shattered, and she rose up into the air.

O Shinge beat her long wings, pitch-black feathers that glimmered like ink. She touched the ground soundlessly. Her transformation was, in comparison to the form we had always seen her in, was astounding; no longer was she the hunched, inhuman figure with the spider like limbs and the skull-like head. Now her body was aglow, purely dark energy as our radiance was light. Her figure was no longer humanoid, but that exactly of a young woman, slender and shapely, beautiful and terrible as her long hair, tendrils of dark smoke that whipped around her.

"I will get my revenge," She hissed, and raised her arms. In an act of horror and wonder, the black clouds of energy seemed to rise, as if an endless misty ocean, from the city around us, a suffocating mass of darkness that dimmed even the radiance of our shared transformation.

It seemed to whisper things, lamenting loss and pain, the agony of hundreds upon thousands reaching their plight up to us, broken souls crying out in anguish. Silent tears slid down unseen faces. It was an agony that could not be witnessed by the eye of any one human, no single mortal, lest one go insane. But together, shielded by the light of the ten of this final prophecy, we who would finish this once and for all...

"You are hurt." As one, we rose, meeting the furious eyes of the demon, defiant to her attack. "We will not give up on our dreams. But we will not hurt you."

From our number of ten, one stepped away, breaking his light away from the whole of our shining forms. He drifted forward.

"I know you are in pain. I understand." Tadase's voice echoed above, ringing through the thick darkness. "I have fallen in love before. I know that sometimes, you love someone so much, and there's nothing you can do to be together with them. "

Another of our number stepped away. Utau's figure joined Tadase's, taking his hand. "I know what it means when everyone expects you to be the best, to be better than anyone else, and you can't. People seem to forget that you're still someone underneath what you accomplish, that you're only a person."

Rima stepped forward, her long hair swinging golden with energy. She took Tadase's other hand. "I know you think happiness never lasts. You're right. Nothing really ever lasts forever. Maybe it does for a long time, maybe for a short time, but it never stays forever. Life always messes things up for you. But that's life, isn't it? That's what makes everything so precious."

Another took Rima's hand. Nagihiko. "You didn't lead a happy life, in the end. I know you regret it every moment you stand here. But what's done is done. It is time to let go of the past, because you can't change what you've done."

O Shinge was frozen, staring down at us. Her hands shook with the effort of her raised Hell, but she was utterly transfixed by the words we spoke. _"I cannot let go."_

"Yes, it is time." Kukai took Utau's hand. "Sometimes you can't win. There are time when you're defeated. But you can't let loss bring you down. Learn from your mistakes, don't let them become your chains."

"I know that change can be scary." Yaya took Kukai's hand. "Sometimes things happen that aren't fair, and sometimes things happen that make you sad and empty and broken inside. That's not a good change at all. But if you want to be happy again, you can't go back to the time before when you were happy. You have to make a new change that will lead to a new happiness."

O Shinge's face contorted. _"Happiness... I... can't... feel..."_

"You need to forgive yourself." Kairi's hand grasped Yaya's. "You can't blame yourself forever for what you did. Yes, what you've done is wrong. You will live with this pain forever. But you need to forgive yourself if you want to truly repent for the damage you've caused."

"You were scared." Nadeshiko took Nagihiko's hand. "Fear will always be there, in the darkness of your heart, held back only by your own bravery. But bravery doesn't mean that you have no fear, that you are unafraid of anything. True bravery is the ability to feel absolute, complete Fear... and have the strength to overcome it."

Now Ikuto stepped forward, taking her hand. "I know you think you have to do all of this alone. Just because you want to do something alone doesn't mean you need to do it that I don't feel like anyone should shoulder my burdens but me. But sometimes you can't stand alone."

And Amu stepped forward now, taking Ikuto's hand and looking up at the demon with the rest of us. "Even if you're imperfect, you can still shine!" The strength returned to my limbs, and the darkness began to recede. "Believe in yourself, believe in your own inner sparkle!_ You are radiant!"_

With those words, tears had begun to pour down the demon's face. Slowly, she lowered her hands, bowing her head.

Together, we lifted our linked hands, displaying them before her. "When all is gone, Hope is all we have left, even in the hardest times. It is what keeps us strong, what keeps dreams from shattering and heals hearts." We closed our eyes as within our hearts, the pure essence of dreams began to sparkle bright as day.

**_"We will give you hope."_**

Then light. Light brighter than that of which we had ever seen, cascading in the flow of our beings, cleansing a heart that had never truly healed, a wound that ran deeper than we could possibly fathom, a hundred years' worth of pain gone in the gentle arms of dreams. It seemed a fountain of euphoria had erupted from within us, a light that had always been there, waiting to be found.

Slowly the light began to die, fading in the gentle purity of night, and still we stood glowing, the living image of dreams, still transformed in our base form.

In front of us stood the tiny figure of a girl, just barely older than seventeen, too young to have felt so much pain. She was timelessly beautiful, as if she could have been older than time itself yet had aged not a single moment. Her eyes were filled with infinite sadness, but she stood straight and tall, skin shimmering as if she were not fully here with us.

"Thank you." Her voice was but a whispering echo, soft and sweet. A single tear dripped from her deep brown eyes, sliding down her cheek and falling, glittering to the ground. She turned her face to the sky, smiling up at the moon that peeked its head from the clouds.

There was a rush of wind, an ancient breeze that recalled lost streams and newly blooming violets, the cotton scent of springtime rising up even in the depths of early winter. Then she was gone, dissolved into the glow of moonlight.

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	45. Part Four: Lock and Key

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Ikuto**

It was a bright cool morning on the 1st of December, cool and clear, still pleasant enough as I hefted my violin higher onto my shoulder. Even the cloudy grey skies that threatened cooler weather could not lower my spirits, nor the abnormally rude, somewhat familiar businessman who spilled coffee all over me and kept walking, talking in a disgustingly lovey-dovey manner on his cellphone with someone named Makoto.

No, O Shinge had gone to wherever, finally at peace, and Osaka was safe once more. Most of the people involved in the affair were recovering in hospitals or, as I'd learned from one supposed faerie that looked suspiciously similar to a pop star in a certain popular music trio Utau was close to, healing in places mortals like us weren't exactly supposed to be. Or know about, for that matter, seeing as she threatened me by hexing me if I told anybody about it.

There hadn't been a single mention of the event from the public. There was no knowledge of any abandoned warehouse, any ten individuals, the existence of supernatural beings, or even Easter. Every bit of evidence, of knowledge, had been mysteriously covered up, something that a grinning 'demigod' that said he was 'visiting from America' was thanks not only to Easter but the help of the magical community (Fog, he called it?) and would save us all from being attacked by avid fans and paparazzi.

I strode up the steps to the Easter Corporation tower, returning for the first time in a very long time. Even though this place held a lot of bad memories, I was still feeling pretty peaceful. I was coming back because Akira and Tsukasa had called us in for some important business, mostly to explain all the questions we still had. Which was, in my opinion, very called for. I mean, yeah, I liked all Amu's friends very much, and considered them my friends as well, but transforming with them seemed to have pushed us all across a line of more than just friends. And Yoru, Il and El were still around. Things needed to be explained.

"You're late." I turned to see Utau's manager, Yukari Sanjou, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. "The others are already waiting inside the meeting room."

"Hello, Yukari-chan." I grinned as she flushed. "I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped. "I am your superior."

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully. "No, you're not. I don't work for Easter anymore."

"I'm still older than you!" She insisted. "Respect your elders! And I'm still Utau's manager, so you'd better respect me!"

"You're old, all right!" Yoru flipped upside down, sticking his tongue out at her. "Old lady~nya!"

Yukari-chan sent him such a venomous look that Yoru squeaked and hid behind me, grumbling as she smiled in satisfaction.

I smirked. "But aren't we such good friends?" I gave her my cutest puppy-dog eyes. "Yukari-chan?"

"So much like Yuu," She muttered under her breath. "What did I get myself into?"

"Aw, but you love me, right?" Nikaidou popped up out of nowhere. "Hello, Tsukiyomi." He turned and sent her matching puppy-dog eyes. "Right, Yukari-koi?"

She sweat-dropped "Ah..."

"Ikuto!" I looked up to see Utau striding out from the elevator with a slightly scary aura surrounding her. "You. Are. Late." She growled.

A trickle of sweat slid down my temple., and I held up my hands defensively. "Sorry, Imouto. Practice ran late."

Her menacing aura grew more dangerous, and I gulped. "I don't care. Get in the meeting room before I kick your ass."

"So mean," I pouted, hurrying into the glass elevator after her.

Up we shot, the ground beneath us growing distant as we zoomed to the top floor. "They've remodeled," I said appreciatively. "I like what they've done with the place."

Utau rolled her eyes. "Just flashy. Easter likes people to know they're so important."

I looked at her for a second. She really had grown up so much, I thought, slightly sad. Even if she still kept her hair in two pigtails, even if her long blonde hair was as light as ever and her big violet eyes just as fierce and competitive, even if she still barely reached my shoulder, her features and sharpened. She wasn't just my cute little sister with the crazy crush on me anymore, even if Il and El still floated by her side, bickering incessantly. Now she was a woman, down to her perfect figure and the way she held herself.

Her eyes met mine, curious and still a little pissed. "What? Onii-chan?"

I smiled and ruffled her hair. She protested and shot me a dirty look. "Nothing, Utau."

* * *

**Utau**

I huffed at Ikuto. "Don't touch my hair."

He grinned and pulled me close, minding the healing scrapes on my shoulders. I blinked in surprise, then hugged him back, burying my face in his chest. "I'm glad you're safe," He whispered. "Now I get to see you grow up. And maybe get married, if Kukai ends up being good enough for you."

I flinched, feeling my cheeks flinch. "Ahh, Ikuto... Actually, there's something you should know... I maybe might have kind of—"

The elevator doors opened, and a woman cleared her throat. The two of us broke away to see Akira Amakawa raising an eyebrow at us. "Utau-chan. I see you've found Ikuto-kun."

"Since when have you called me Ikuto-kun?" Ikuto demanded.

"I assumed that because you've taken to calling me Akira-chan, I was given the right to refer to you more intimately."

Ikuto shrugged. "Fair point. Now, come on, we're late!"

I resisted the urge to punch my brother in the face and grabbed his wrist, muttering that he would have been better off as an actual stray cat. With that, I followed Akira-chan through the halls, reaching a tall door and entering, dragging Ikuto along behind me.

Inside the board room, long floor-to-ceiling glass windows ran along the opposite wall, providing a clear view of the city sprawled in front of us. Ten sleek black rolling chairs were lined up at the far end of a long glass table. Tsukasa, along with the other eight, looked up as we entered.

"Ah, you're here." Tsukasa smiled pleasantly and motioned for us to sit down. I resumed my old seat between Kukai and Amu, and Ikuto took a seat next to Kairi, across from Nagihiko.

"Hey, Little King. How's the side wound?" Ikuto ruffled Tadase's hair.

Tadase attempted a smile, which was really more of a grimace. His hand strayed to his side, where he was slowly but surely healing from a nasty stab wound. "Fine."

"Sure it is." Ikuto rolled his eyes. "What about you, Sugar High, how's the thumb? And Samurai Boy, the broken ribs?"

"She's not taking enough care of herself," Kairi said firmly, before Yaya could say a word. She flushed.

"W-Well, you're not taking enough care of your ribs!" She insisted.

I kissed the top of my boyfriend's head, which I'd made sure he'd taken extreme care of. He'd gotten a mild concussion, so he was sitting out during soccer games and practice, which made him a little grumpy.

Ikuto chuckled. "Ah, lover's spat. What about you, Little Queen? How's your leg?"

She winced slightly. "Painful, but healing."

"So, what were we talking about?" Ikuto asked, as if he'd been on time, easily sliding into the conversation.

Nagihiko brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Basically recapping everything that's happened."

"So the Dream Thief was a spirit named O Shinge from Yoshinoyama who was corrupted through her negative energy and became a demon," Nadeshiko said matter-of-factly.

Kairi nodded. "She came to Osaka to destroy the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key and gained power by drawing energy from X-Eggs and possessing the owners of the X-Eggs."

"Our guardian characters as well as one of us—" Nagihiko tensed, and Nadeshiko gripped his hand, "—were possessed by O Shinge to discover our secrets," Kukai finished apologetically.

"We learned that O Shinge has come here before, and returned only just earlier this year," Tadase said. "And that using the Lock and Key, we could defend against her."

"Akira is the first Joker, and Tsukasa was the first King, which we already knew..."

"... Supernatural beings, as well as different realms, dimensions, and universes exist..."

"... And Nadeshiko is an air elemental." Rima turned to Nagihiko. "Are you an elemental?"

"It's because that's what she wanted to be," Azumi spoke. "Nagihiko never wished for magical talents, and therefore has none."

"What about Easter, though?" I pressed Akira. "Why were you guys involved?"

"Simply because Gozen was concerned," Akira said simply, referring to Hikaru Inchinomiya.

"You don't work for Easter, right?" Ikuto asked Tsukasa. The man shook his head.

"I'm simply here to... well, cushion any blows."

"How did O Shinge get here, anyways?" Kukai wondered. "I mean, she came from Yoshinoyama, right?"

"It's not that far from here, I guess." Nadeshiko shrugged. "Maybe she just traveled here. What about the Road of Stars? You and Ikuto traveled on it when you disappeared with O Shinge, right?"

"Right." Amu nodded. "I think it was because it made contact with this." She gestured to her Lock. "Somehow that must have opened up the Road." She paused, thinking. "What about on Halloween, though?"

Akira thought. "You have transformed with each other before, yes? And it was not the same this time? You may have transformed with all of the Possessed."

"But... if they had X-Characters..." Amu said uncertainly.

Tsukasa shook his head. "X-Characters are similar to Guardian Characters, in that they have hatched from Heart's Eggs. An unbroken egg, even if corrupted, means that the dream is still there, even if it's hidden under sadness. With no egg, the dream would not exist, and likewise. Some shard of purity, even the tiniest grain, would have to have been present in order to keep the egg from breaking."

Amu nodded. "Before you showed up, Ikuto, Akira-chan said that a lot of what's happened had to do with the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key." Her hand strayed unconsciously to her chest, where said Lock rested in its usual spot just above her heart.

Ikuto lifted his Key out of nowhere. "So, what's going on with these things?"

Akira looked strangely uncomfortable. "I'm afraid what I'm about to tell you may shock you. All of you." Her eyes met each of ours. "I hope you will understand that everything that has happened, it has happened for the best. And I hope you all remember that that doesn't necessarily mean everything you feel for each other is simply fake."

The pleasant aura from before seemed to have flickered and died. "What do you mean?" Rima asked uneasily.

Akira closed her eyes. "As you know, the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key are tools hewn centuries ago to ensure the survival of dreams. Their purpose, and their powers alone, are made only to protect Heart's Eggs. I told you before that we barely knew a thing about the Lock and Key. That was a lie."

* * *

**Amu**

Stunned silence.

Tsukasa spoke. "It is true, we do not know very much. But we do know enough. The Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key are a pair of magical artifacts that protect Heart's Eggs. But they are also objects of Destiny, of the Road of Stars. They influence things around them in order to ensure the survival of Heart's Eggs. It is a very powerful magic, a very strong magic that is not to be trifled with. The will of the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key, their power and their magic, comes from the Road of Stars. It is there, we believe, that they were created, although how we know not.

"We did not inform you of this before, but in the case of the Lock and Key, they come with a destiny," Akira added. "They are such objects of power that those bound to them would be subjects of prophecy."

"Within the moon's high, the darkness shall rise/Prepare, Lock and Key, to meet your demise/Disaster will strike; the Curse shall prevail/And all Life shall end when two alone fail/Against will and reason Death shall be undone/The demon of ink has only begun," Amu recited. "That's the rhyme that's been appearing in my head."

"It's what you said back when our guardian characters were first possessed," Rima said thoughtfully.

The moon was full the night we battled O Shinge for the last time," Kairi said. "And the whole 'Death shall be undone' thing makes sense, because the undead were romping around as ghosts and vampires..."

"We can assume the 'demon of ink' and 'the darkness' was O Shinge," Ikuto tapped his fingers on the glass table. "And obviously, disaster did strike."

"But we didn't meet our demise," I frowned, "And I'm assuming that all Life didn't end, because we didn't fail, right?"

"What's this 'curse'?" Nagihiko quoted.

"Well, it said that all Life would end when two alone would fail, right?" Tadase tapped his chin. "But it was all ten of us, instead of 'two alone'. So because we cleansed O Shinge together—"

Yaya broke in. "We didn't fail. But how did we transform together?"

"Ikuto and I transformed together before," I said vaguely. "With Amulet Fortune and Seven Seas Treasure. Of course, eight more people wouldn't be that difficult for the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key. Dia told me that I... cleansed myself?"

"Just like you would cleanse a Heart's Egg. So we all transformed with each other."

"And the curse?" Nadeshiko prompted.

Akira nodded. "The Lock and Key, as you have witnessed, have many powers. They create the ability to cleanse X-Eggs, instead of simply destroying them. They assist in character transformations." She paused. "They also attract Heart's Eggs. All Heart's Eggs, whether X-Egg, a regular Heart's Egg, even a Character Egg. They help them to hatch and grow. They are the reason that you could transform all together.

It also made it abe for you to share powers. For example, because Nadeshiko-chan is an elemental, you could all fly."

"I can't do that anymore," Nadeshiko interrupted. It was silent, and she looked down. "I can't. I mean, I can't control air anymore. It... I just can't. It's like, I used it all up that night and now there's nothing left."

"So..." Tadase's eyes were wide. "That means..."

"The Seiyo Academy Guardians are unlike any student council that we know of." Tsukasa gestured at the Lock and Key. "It is very likely—extremely likely—that many of you who have guardian characters would not have met." He looked at Rima. "You came to the school, did you not, knowing of the Guardians?" Rima nodded, and he turned to Kairi. "And you came, did you not, to aide your sister against them?" Kairi nodded tersely. "Many of you may not have met, may not have even been friends, had it not been for the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key."

"So the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key influenced us and..." I clenched my fists. "... And that's why we're all friends? That's why we all know each other?" Why we all..." A sick feeling filled my stomach.

"And our relationships?" Ikuto asked quietly. His face was white.

Tsukasa bowed his head. Akira spoke, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Yes," She said softly. "This is the curse of the Lock and the Key. I know you have all known each other for so long. You trust and you care for each other; you would do anything for each other, would you not?" We all nodded. "It is possible—possible, I will say—that you may not..." She sighed. "Feel the way you do. Love the people you do."

"I believe there is something you wish to tell us?" Tsukasa turned his gaze on Nadeshiko, who was frozen with an expression of pure horror and pain on her face. She did not speak, opening and closing her mouth.

"It influenced everything in order to make sure that O Shinge would be defeated?" Tadase asked quietly, taking her hand. "Everything and anything?"

"It could have been anything," Tsukasa murmured. "It is possible that everything you have felt for each other, down to your unification, could have been fabricated by the Lock and Key."

At this, Nadeshiko stood and fled from the room.

* * *

**Yaya**

Immediately we stood and made to follow her, but Akira said, "Wait. Only—"

"I know." Nagihiko and Tadase stood and hurried away.

I frowned. "Why do they get to go?"

"Because they know things about her that the rest of you do not," Akira said calmly.

"Wait a second." Utau stood, eyes flashing. "So you mean to say that because of the Lock and Key, we're all friends? Because of the Lock and Key, I love Kukai, and Yaya and Kairi love each other, Rima and Nagihiko, Tadase and Nadeshiko... even Amu and Ikuto...?"

"It is possible," Tsukasa said. "Such a tightly-knit connection between all ten of you... you are as close to each other as you can possibly get. It is rare to find so secure a comradeship, especially among ten. All of you may not have even become friends, let alone have started romantic relationships with each other. Without the Lock and Key, you would all be leading different lives. Loving different people."

"And we would have to be close, wouldn't we?" Amu's eyes were red. "If we were going to fight together against a demon, then we'd have to be a strong team."

Akira cleared her throat. "I understand that this is something very difficult to accept. That is why this is a curse—when the Lock and Key needs you, the course of your lives, every decision you make is altered to save Heart's Eggs. But that does not mean that you aren't really friends. Yes, you were brought together against the will of your own destinies. But you cannot change the past, yes? And you are all so close now... do not break beautiful friendships for what could have been. Look at what you have now, with each other."

"But the Lock and Key don't need us any more." The three others had returned. "Now that there is no danger, what happens now?"

"I don't know." Akira sighed. "You may go back to your unaltered destinies, which could possibly mean that your bonds formed through this will cease. You may fall in with other people. Perhaps even fall in love with other people. No one can be sure. Maybe you were all truly meant to be together, and the Lock and Key simply had to latch on to all of you, and nothing will change."

"But this curse..." Tadase looked terrified. "Do you mean to say, now that our destinies will revert back to whatever they were meant to be, we could fall apart? All of us?"

"I'm sorry." Akira turned away. "I am so, so sorry."

* * *

**Nagihiko**

Akira and Tsukasa had left us, to let this sink in and for us to decide what to do next. We sat together. After all we had been through together... to think that everything, that all of that was fake...

I glanced at Rima, then looked away as she turned her gaze in my direction. If Curse was really true... if everything between the two of us was a lie...

On my other side, Nadeshiko wiped her eyes. A horrible swooping sensation rolled through my stomach as I realized how likely it was that everything that my twin had gone through would not have occurred if it was not for the Lock and Key. The orphanage would not have burned down... she would not have lived on the streets... She hadn't said it straight out, but I guessed that she loved that Hisashi... would he still be alive today if not for the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key?

I swallowed down my shame when I realized that I didn't want her not to be here. Was I really preferring the destruction of her childhood home, the death of the first person she had loved... would I really rather have that happen to her just so she could be here with us?

"What now?" Amu asked quietly. For the first time in years, she had willingly taken off the Humpty Lock. It sat glittering in the light of the afternoon sun on the center of the table, right next to Ikuto's Dumpty Key.

"I don't want it to be true." Rima clenched her fists. "I don't care if the Lock and Key have altered whatever stupid destiny I was 'supposed' to have." Her eyes were fierce. "You guys are still my friends."

"...Yeah." We all nodded.

"Why don't we go out to celebrate Ikuto's birthday?" I suggested.

"Oh, yeah!" Ikuto slapped his forehead. "It's my birthday! I completely forgot!"

We sweat-dropped "You... forgot your own birthday?"

"In case you haven't noticed, we've kind of been busy. We didn't even celebrate Utau's or Kukai's birthday."

"Seeing as we kind of spent mine locked in a warehouse," Utau commented.

We all looked at Kukai's. "Um..." He rubbed the back of his head. "We were preparing to fight the Dream Thief?"

"But... we were preparing to fight it, and we celebrated Amu's." Rima was mystified.

Utau was laughing hysterically, rolling around in her seat. "Oh, my God, you all seriously forgot his birthday?!"

"Didn't you?!" Amu looked intensely embarrassed.

"Of course not! I—" Suddenly Utau turned faintly pink and went silent.

"What?" Yaya asked curiously.

"Um. Never mind. So," She said hurriedly, "About celebrating Ikuto's and my birthdays, and Kukai's, now..."

"Wait a second." Ikuto froze. "That was when we we met Akira-chan for the first time. And you went to your apartment with Kukai, didn't you? Because I'd gone with Amu." Utau seemed unable to speak. "But when I tried to call you later, you didn't answer..." His eyes widened and his face went red. "Utau... Kukai... What. Were. You. Doing?" He said through his teeth.

Both Utau and Kukai's face were pink. "See, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, Ikuto. I might have kind of—"

"DID YOU DO WHAT I THINK YOU DID?!" Ikuto roared.

"Shit," Utau muttered.

Amu blushed no longer the scary mother. "Did you guys..."

"You guys used protection, right?" I inquired, grinning mischievously.

Kukai flushed even deeper. "That's kinda personal, man."

"But you did, didn't you?" Rima asked slyly. Utau whacked her shoulder.

"And they said you would ravish me in my underwear before these two could get away with it," Yaya murmured to Kairi, who held in a smile.

"My Onee-chan isn't a... a...?" Tadase, who was redder than any of us, seemed stunned. Nadeshiko was trying (and failing miserably) not to laugh hysterically, clinging to his shoulder and gasping for breath.

Utau grabbed Kukai's arm. "RUN!"

"YOU TWOOOOO!" Ikuto barreled after them, surrounded by a dark aura scarier than O Shinge's and shouting violent things that involved cutting off certain things belonging to Kukai and locking up his sister in a chastity belt and keeping her in a windowless, doorless, stair-less tower in Antarctica.

"My mom and dad both threatened to do that to me," Rima said easily. "Except Ikuto's probably more likely to actually do it."

Amu sighed. "We'd better go save them before Ikuto actually does what he says he's going to."

* * *

**Rima**

"Really?" Yaya asked Nadeshiko, shocked. "You..." Nade nodded, bowing her head. Tadase and Nagihiko held both her hands.

We sat in the old park together, having pushed together several old park tables. We'd come here to talk, as all of us were still pretty tense after learning of this Curse. The distraction of the birthday celebration, which we'd celebrated by getting takeout from the restaurant the boys had gotten themselves kicked out of (this food was amazingly authentic American) and coming here. Empty boxes lay in a nearby trash can, regaling each other with stories and making sure we kept Ikuto as far away as possible from Utau and Kukai.

Then after a long, unusually awkward silence, Nadeshiko had spoken up, telling us she had something important to tell us. It was then that we learned about Nadeshiko's true past, and for a second we all felt as close as we'd been before.

It was obvious, though, that as the surprise and sympathy had faded, that the awkwardness still resided. Even though Amu was right, and that we shouldn't let this affect us, it clearly still did. Because really, how can you accept the fact that all your friends, the strength of the bonds you shared with them, was influenced—and maybe even fabricated—by magical objects?

It was hard. Hard to think that the only reason I trusted Amu was because of the Lock and Key, to think that maybe I didn't really love Nagihiko. I had been so sure, had believed everything was real... to be told that is was probable that it was not made me feel sick inside.

Finally, Amu spoke. "Look... I know we're all thinking about that curse. Yeah, maybe none of us were meant to be friends. Maybe we really were. Who knows? But I don;t want us all tearing ourselves apart arguing about whether or not we'll stay friends. We wouldn't be thinking like this if we never knew about this."

"But what if we fall apart after this?" Kairi argued. "What if our destinies revert back to what they were supposed to be, and we don't stick together? What if things happen that we can't control?"

"So you're not going to even try to stick together?" Yaya's face was red. The two glared at each other, and I got the feeling that there was more behind her words.

"I didn't say that," Kairi retorted. "But if we fall apart even if we try not to—"

"I can't believe you." Utau laughed incredulously, her eyes sparking. "You're asking why we should even bother to stick together, aren't you?"

"Please don't put words in my mouth!" Kairi protested. "I'm just asking if it matters whether or not we want it not to happen, if it does—"

"Watch it, buddy. Don't yell at my girlfriend," Kukai said angrily.

"He's got a point," I said, looking slightly defeated. "If we were never supposed to be friends, then it doesn't matter how much we don't want to stop everything we all have. You can't stop destiny."

"That doesn't mean we can't try," Ikuto said, annoyed.

"You can't defy destiny," Nadeshiko insisted, her eyes red and puffy. "Anything could happen."

"But... you're happy now, aren't you?" Tadase looked hurt. "I mean... you aren't saying that—"

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" Nagihiko's eyes glittered dangerously.

Tadase glowered. "Of course not. I'm not that selfish, I didn't want what happened to her to have happened just because I want her here with us. Why, are you?"

Nagihiko sneered. "Like I would."

"You both are being stupid," Nadeshiko growled.

Utau rubbed her eyes. "Who says we can't make our own destinies after this?"

"And who says it's not already laid out for us?" Yaya said mockingly, but aimed towards Kairi.

Kairi's face hardened. "Maybe I'm not the one who isn't willing to try."

"Don't be so mean to him, he was just trying to make a point," Rima snapped at Yaya.

She flinched. "I just—"

"Stop acting like brats." Kukai sighed in frustration.

Ikuto rolled his eyes, scoffing. "God, I should've known this would happen, obviously none of you can handle this right now."

"I don't see you coming up with a solution," Amu said angrily.

"ENOUGH!" El's shrill voice rang out.

As one, the guardian characters, who every single of us seemed to have forgotten the moment we stepped into the conference room hours ago, rose into the air.

"All of you, stop it," Ran cried.

"Don't you see what you're all doing to each other?" Dia asked.

"You're all tearing at each other's throats," Rhythm said angrily.

"Stupid, you guys are throwing everything you have with each other just because you're scared," Daichi growled.

Miki nodded. "At this rate..."

"You'll all fall apart," Temari finished.

"Sleep on it, at least," Yoru insisted.

"Yeah, you're all acting like idiots," Il huffed.

"None of you are being anything close to mature," Pepe grumbled. "I would know. I'm a baby~dechu."

"You aren't enemies, so stop acting like you are," Kiseki said imperiously.

"Stop fighting~desu," Su whimpered.

Silence. Then Amu stood. "I'm going home. Ran, Miki, Su, Dia. Are you coming, or what?"

The guardian characters deflated, as if they realized something none of us knew."Fine," Ran said sadly.

"I'm going back to my apartment." Utau stood without a backwards glance, Il and El following after.

A heavy silence filled the air. Each of us stared at one another. For the first time in four years, each and every one of us felt completely, utterly alone. Slowly, each of us left, unwilling to look back, even as each of us hoped, deep within our hearts, that what we left behind was not the shards of Us.

* * *

_Amu wiped away her tears angrily, slamming the door to her room and sliding down the door. It was all fake, the voice inside her wailed. Everything was fake..._

_For years, her life had been nothing more than a lie. She was only a pawn in a game, and she had sacrificed everything, who she could've been, who she could've loved... who knew what she lost because of the whim of a Lock and a Key?_

_She lifted the Humpty Lock, the sparkling amulet that she had guarded, worn every day for years, only to discover that all the time it had betrayed her. She felt sick, twisted, used and dumped on the ground. A swell of pure fury and anger washed over her, and she slammed the Lock against the ground._

_It shattered under her fingers. The crystalic clover, which she had believed was some sort of mystical gem, was nothing more than glass, now splintered into jagged shards with a nasty crack._

_The world around her erupted with light, and she was gone._

_Amu screamed as she fell through the Road of Stars, tumbling and twisting through the glittering particles. All around her, a voice, frighteningly loud and horribly familiar, echoed,_

"_**The Curse unleashed upon ten of pure heart  
**__**Pieces to the whole, torn quite apart  
**__**Death for the castle and flowers in bloom  
**__**One choice shall decide the Heroes' doom  
**__**The ties between cut and bonds to be lost  
**__**Destiny destroyed at catalyst starcrossed."**_

_Then with a thump, she landed hard on the ground._

_"Ow..." Amu moaned, sitting up awkwardly and looking around. "Where... am I?" She looked down at herself. "And why am I in my school clothes?"_

_"Amu!" Ran, Miki, Su and Dia all appeared beside her. "What's going on?!"_

_"Amu?" She jumped and turned. There stood Tadase, watching her strangely._

_He didn't look quite the same. His eyes were not quite as sad, his expression lighter, easier. He still looked physically the same... But there was something missing..._

_"Tadase!" She gasped, and leapt to her feet, eyes wild. "What—Where?!—I broke it!"_

_"Broke what?" He cocked his head, blinking in confusion. It seemed he couldn't see Ran, Miki, Su or Dia. "I thought we were going to meet up and walk home after school."_

"_What?! No, the—the Lock, I broke it, and—" She covered my mouth, swallowing back her terror._

"_Hey, hey." Tadase hurried forward, his expression concerned. "It's okay. Now, what broke?"_

"_The Lock!" Amu said hysterically. "The Humpty Lock!"_

"_The what?"_

"_What do you mean, what?! I broke—"_

Chara-change!

_With a pop, Amu's X-barrettes changed into diamonds. "I'm all right!" Amu said brightly._

"_Oh. Okay." Tadase smiled easily down at her. "I'm glad."_

Just go with it,_ Dia said inside Amu's head. _I'll explain later.

"_You looked very beautiful today." Tadase leaned down and, to her complete shock, kissed Amu right on the mouth. She gasped and fell back._

"_What are you doing?!" She spluttered, flushing. "Tadase?!"_

"_Kissing my girlfriend." Amu froze as he stared at her, slightly hurt. "Is there something wrong?"_

"_I—I—"_

Just go with it,_ Dia urged._

"_I—have—bad breath?" She winced at the crack in her voice. "Yeah. Sorry."_

"_I don't mind," He said cheerfully. "Anyways, shall we go?"_

"_Sure." She swallowed hard at the lump of confusion, shock and fear that still lingered. What was going on?!_

_Fifteen minutes later, something occurred to her, and she broke the uncomfortable silence. "So..." She said nervously. "Where are the others we usually walk home with?"_

"_Others? What others?"_

_A sick feeling filled her stomach. "You know. Rima, Nagihiko, Nadeshiko, Yaya, Kairi..." Amu trailed off as he frowned. _

"_I have no idea who Rima is, or Nagihiko, Nadeshiko or Kairi. If you mean Yaya Yuiki, I don't believe either of us have spoken very many words to her outside of Student Council. Amu, are you sure you're all right?"_

_That's right, Amu thought dimly. Rima moved here because of the guardians. But the guardians were formed because of the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key. And Kairi came because Easter wanted a spy... but if there were no guardians, Lock, or Key, then Hikaru Ichinomiya, who would have been Gozen, would not have been the CEO of Easter Corporation, it would be Aruto Tsukiyomi. But Nagihiko and Nadeshiko?_

"_... I..." She swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears. "I'm fine."_

"_Hmmm..." He looked unconvinced. "I guess we'd better head home, then—oh, hold on a second." He picked up the phone. "Hello? Hello, Onii-chan!" His voice brightened. "Yeah, Amu and I are walking home. We'll be at the subway in no time. What? Really? !Cool!" He laughed, his eyes sparkling. "All right, we'll see you there! Bye!" He flipped his phone shut. "Onii-chan got out of practice early," He told her. "He'll meet us at our usual spot for the subway."_

_She nodded, a lump in my throat. Where were Yaya, Rima, Nagi, Nade and Kairi? And what about Ikuto, Utau and Kukai?_

_It was then that she realized._

"_Tadase..." Amu said quietly. "Where is Kiseki?"_

_He looked at her as if he had never heard of his miniature kingly character. "Who?"_

_They were standing together in front of the subway, Tadase and Amu, in a silence that felt extremely awkward to her but appeared comfortable to Tadase. She glanced at my guardian characters, who seemed very worried as Dia spoke to them in an undertone that Amu couldn't hear._

"_Hey, Otouto." Ikuto appeared, wearing the same casual clothes Amu had always seen him in after he got out of practice for the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. A violin case was strapped over his shoulder, and yet it seemed a bit different. He ruffled Tadase's hair and hers. "Hello, Imouto."_

_Amu felt her cheeks heat and her stomach drop. He'd never called her his 'little sister' before... "H-Hey."_

_He looked just as different as Tadase, she noticed. He still had the same cat-fur midnight blue hair she liked to run my fingers through, still had those amazing eyes the shade of night, but he seemed infinitely happier, as if a weight he had always carried had never been there in the first place. No Key dangled from his violin case, no Yoru stuck his tongue out at her and made derisive comments._

"_Utau's still at work," Ikuto told them. "She'll be home after you and I."_

_Tadase nodded. "I'll see you later, Amu." He kissed her gently, pulling her close. Out of the corner of her eye, Ikuto rolled his eyes._

"_You two are so lovey-dovey. Let's go, Lover Boy." He ruffled Amu's hair, smiling easily. "See you, Imouto."_

_Amu held back tears. "Goodbye."_

"_Amu," Dia said quietly. "You broke the Humpty Lock."_

_She put her face in her hands. "I know," She cried, her shoulder shaking, "I broke it, and I don't know what to do, I don't know what's going on... I'm so scared..."_

"_When you broke it, you also released energy that held you to the Lock-altered destiny." Ran floated to her. "The destiny you would have had because of the Lock and Key is no longer your destiny to follow."_

"_This backlash of energy that you released forced you into the Road of Stars." Miki settled herself on her shoulder. "Now you're seeing what your life would be like if you and Ikuto had never been the Lock and Key Guardians, if they had never affected your lives. Any of your lives."_

"_So then Rima..." Amu swallowed hard. "Then, Kairi, Yaya, and Nagi and Nade..."_

"_I can show you them," Dia murmured. "But can you handle it?"_

"_Please," Amu said tremulously. "Please, I need to know."_

_Silence, then Dia nodded, and as one the four touched Amu on the forehead._

_Amu found herself standing in the middle of a cemetery._

"_No," Amu breathed, covering her mouth and falling to her knees. There in front of her was a long gravestone, one with two names. Nagihiko and Nadeshiko Fujisaki, it read. Born and Died July 4th, 1997. There were fresh flowers in a pot by the grave, barely a week old._

"_Do you remember what Nade told us about how there was a mystery on their birth?" Dia whispered. "How their mother said they had both supposedly been dead before being separated, and how Nagihiko magically came back to life?"_

"_Amu, they were supposed to both die during birth," Miki said softly. "They were never supposed to live."_

"_God, no," Amu sobbed. "What have I done?! I—I can't see this anymore..."_

"_There is still one more person here to see~desu," Su said softly, leading me away._

_There, very close by, was a grave that read, Rima Mashiro, Born February 6th, 1998, Died May 2nd, 2005. A little porcelain clown that, with horrible irony, looked just like Kusukusu, rested upon the tiny grave._

"_Rima-tan was supposed to die when she got kidnapped~desu," Su took Amu's finger. "She wasn't supposed to survive the kidnapping."_

"_All three were saved by the Lock and Key," Miki told her. "But without it, all three had nothing and no one to save them. They never even had guardian characters."_

"_What about Yaya and Kairi?" Amu asked desperately. "What about them?"_

"_After Tsubasa was born, Yaya couldn't act like a baby. There was no one where she could act like herself with, so Pepe was never born," Ran said. "She grew up too fast, and now she has no childishness left in her."_

_Amu hid her face in her hands. The idea of a Yaya that did not believe in love or happiness, that had let go of her childhood was terrifying. "And Kairi?" _

"_Kairi's still in his home town, except..." Dia paused. "Except he has broken his Heart's Egg."_

"_Oh, God." Amu covered her mouth, muffling her words. "Oh, God..."_

"_He had Musashi, but because he'd never left his hometown, he didn't learn how to loosen up. He forgot about his dream to become a samurai... and then Musashi went back into his egg..."_

"_And Kairi broke the egg out of anguish." Tears had filled Miki's eyes._

"_Utau is not a pop star," Dia went on. "She gave up on that dream. She's studying to become the next CEO of Easter, just like her father. She has no time for anything else, even her family. She's not even twenty and she's got grey hairs. Kukai couldn't focus on anything on soccer... so when he broke his leg, he kept trying to play, because it was all he had..."_

"_He can't walk~desu... He uses crutches, but when he broke his leg and couldn't play soccer anymore..."_

"_He broke his Heart's Egg."_

"_I can't listen to this anymore!" Amu exploded, clutching her head. "Please," She begged. "Help me fix it, I don't... I can't... God, what did I do...?"_

"_Time to go home," Ran said softly, and with that the five disappeared._

* * *

_Amu gasped, her eyes widening in shock and horror as she reappeared in her room, the shattered Lock lying forlornly in front of her. "No, no no," She breathed, picking up the pieces, but there was no way to fix it. Amu dropped the shards with shaking hands. _Like shattering a looking-glass,_ she thought. "What have I done?" She moaned, bowing her trembling shoulders as new tears streamed down her cheeks. "Oh what have I done?"_

_"Amu?" Her four guardians appeared. "Amu, it's okay, everything will be fine," Ran said comfortingly._

_"You'll work it out." Miki smiled gently._

_"I can make you tea," Su said helpfully._

_Dia floated to the broken Lock and touched it. To Amu's great, absolute relief, the pieces flew back and mended instantly. _

_"Oh, my God, thank you," She breathed, picking up the Lock and unclasping the chain, attempting to put it back around her neck. "I can't clasp it shut. Can one of you—"_

_"No." Dia's shaky voice rang out. "You are not the Lock Guardian anymore."_

_"Wh—What?" Amu stared at her, uncomprehending._

_"You rejected it," Dia covered her mouth, looking horrified. "You broke it, even though by accident, and scorned the Lock in that moment. At that moment, you rejected your position as Lock Guardian, and the Lock no longer is yours to guard now that you have rejected it."_

_"What are you saying?" Amu's voice trembled. "I'm not the Lock Guardian?" She clasped the Lock and tried to slip it over her head. "Ouch!"_

_A sting of electricity zapped her fingers, and she dropped it. Amu stared at the Humpty Lock, then up at her guardian characters, each who were absolutely horrifed. Back down at the Lock. "I'm not the Lock Guardian anymore? I'm not... tied to it?"_

_"The destiny the Lock had planned for you is no longer your destiny anymore," Dia looked at Amu, horrible pity in her eyes. "And now, none of the others are bound to their changed destinies either. You have ensured the Curse." Amu covered her mouth, stifling a sob. "Destiny will change."_

I caused the Curse_, she thought._ It was my fault._ And now everything would fall apart._

What have I done?

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	46. Blame It On the Magical Artifacts!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Tadase**

It was five thirty p.m. by the time the Cosmic Bowling Alley came into view, its neon sign blazing through the dark. I shivered; cold seeped through even my blue overcoat. I shoved my hands in my pockets and hurried through the parking lot filled to the brim with cars.

It had been weeks since I had last spoken to any of my friends, let alone Nadeshiko. Now not only did I lose all my friends and my girlfriend, I'd also lost the people who were closest to me. I'd never realized how much I hung out with the other nine until I found myself alone with many friendly acquaintances and no truly close friends. I mean, sure, I had other friends, but we had never been as close... not like Nadeshiko was... Inside, I was hoping, even if I felt guilty that I did, that everyone else felt as alone as I did. But if everything went well tonight, that would be over for all of us.

A few days ago, Amu had approached all of us personally, strangely agitated, begging each of us to forgive her and to try again by going bowling together at the Cosmic Bowling Alley. She seemed a bit crazed, so I'd hurriedly agreed before trying to calm her down, asking her what was wrong, but she refused to say anything.

I pushed open the futuristic doors and stepped into a new world. 'Cosmic' was not quite enough; psychedelic colors swam in astronomical formations made by neon lights and glow paints. The room was dimly lit by blacklights. The bowling lanes were bright white, creating a glowing effect that made each lane stand out against the cosmic colors. The latest pop hits played overhead, the volume level rivalling even the loud chatter. It was like stepping into the club from California again, except now instead of decorations themed around the sun, it was around the entire galaxy. And no one was grinding on each other, at least as far as I could see.

I turned in a circle, trying to figure out exactly where I was headed. There were at least twenty lanes. I was sure at least some of them were here, since I was already half an hour late, but I couldn't see anyone familiar.

"Hey."

I jumped and whirled round. "Sorry—oh. Hi." I gulped nervously.

There stood Nadeshiko, in a dark grey peacoat with a hood lined with fake fur. She looked beautiful as ever, with her pink cheeks and her large armber eyes. I had the sudden urge to pull her close and kiss her, but I restrained myself. We weren't even friends again, let alone a couple. Beside her stood Nagihiko wearing a blue vest and a thick white sweater.

"Hello, Tadase," Azumi said wearily. "Hello, my good psychotic and egotistical maniac."

"I AM A KING!"

"Yeah, yeah." Rhythm and Temari floated over, Rhythm ruffling Kiseki's hair in a gesture that was frighteningly similar to Ikuto's common practice.

"Hey," She repeated, not meeting my eyes. "It's, uh. It's good to see you. Where are the others?"

I tried not to pysche myself out and shrugged helplessly. "I don't know... I was looking for them just now, actually."

"There they are," She said, ignoring everything I had just said, and began walking towards a group close to the very end of all the lanes, not bothering to see if either Nagihiko or I were following her.

Nagihiko patted me on the arm, looking both sympathetic and amused. "She's still mad, yeah."

"Yeah..." I said miserably.

"Don't worry. She'll come around... eventually."

The guardian characters spoke to one another at this, in words too low for me to overhear.

Close to the end of the lanes, I saw the rest of our friends. Amu noticed us immediately and grinned in a slightly frightening manner. Checking the scoreboard, it seemed that Kukai and Utau were both beating everyone soundly. Yaya and Kairi weren't either present or on the board, but I saw her coat and his jacket lying on the futuristic white chairs. Even the bowling balls were psychedelic.

"S'up, Little King?" Ikuto ruffled my hair.

"Blondie~nya!"

"Hello, Onii-chan." I smiled up at him. "Hello, Amu."

"Hey, Tadase!" Amu rushed forward and gave me a hug. "And Nadeshiko and Nagihiko!"

"Amu is horrible at bowling~desu."

"S-Su!"

Utau crossed her arms. "Uh, hello? What about your big sister, huh?"

"Hi, Onee-chan!" I laughed. "You too, Rima, Kukai. Where are Yaya and Kairi?"

Rima smiled slyly. "They're buying pizza. We thought we'd let them have a little... alone time."

"Everyone thinks they're making out or something." Kusukusu snickered.

"Oh." I flushed. "Um... So..."

"Hello, Rima-koi," Nagihiko said cheerfully, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.

She blushed and mumbled, "Hi, Nagi-koi." Nagi chuckled and took her hand, and I felt a twinge of envy as I seated myself beside Amu, who seemed very hopeful and pleased with herself. He and his twin took seats next to each other.

"Let's add you guys to the scoreboard," Utau said brightly. "Names?"

"Put in Girly-Boy for Nagihiko and Little Queen for Nadeshiko," Ikuto said easily. "And Little King for Tadase."

"WE WILL WIN!" Temari roared, a tiny naginata popping into her grip.

"Geez, calm down, sis," Rhythm sweat-dropped.

"W-What?!" Nadeshiko flushed, waving her arms wildly. "I don't—we aren't—I—Tadase, he—I mean—"

"Fine, fine." Ikuto sighed. "Thing One and Thing Two, then." Nadeshiko slumped down in her seat, red in the face.

"Just like Amu," Miki mumbled to Ran, who stifled a giggle. Strange, their usual chatter seemed a bit forced.

"Your turn, Ikuto," Utau called, back from throwing her fifth strike in a row.

He shrugged and leapt to his feet, grabbing an iridescent black ball with shimmering silver and shot the ball smoothly down the track, where it hit all but three pins. Another throw, knocking out the rest, and so was Ikuto's first spare.

"Your turn, Rima," Ikuto told her.

Rima sighed and got to her feet, grabbing a small neon red ball that she lugged towards the lane. She made a wild swinging gesture, and the ball bounced backwards, landing smack on my foot.

"OW!" I shot to my feet and began hopping around on one foot.

"Rima is bad at bowling, too," Kusukusu laughed.

"Sh-Shut up, Kusukusu! Sorry, Tadase!"

"It's okay," I said through my clenched teeth, wiping away at my watering eyes.

"Are you okay?" Nadeshiko took my hand and helped me to stand. "Do you need ice?" My cheeks heated, and she went pink, realizing what she was doing and lowering her gaze quickly.

"I'm good." I watched her hopefully.

"You two are hopeless," Temari grumbled under her breath.

"I'll go get an ice pack!" Amu leapt to her feet and sprinted away at the speed of light.

"_Hurry up!" Pepe hissed, urging Musashi through the door to the pizza parlor, where their bearers stood waiting for pizza. The lady from before popped up, spoke at the speed of light, and then rushed out the door. The woman, who Pepe might have possibly messed with slightly to get her to believe a ghost was in the room, rushed out the door carrying their pizzas for them._

"_Now!" With that, they locked the door and were gone._

_Back at Lane 18, The guardian characters were helping to add to the chaos. Daichi sneaked into a finger-hole for a bowling ball just before Rima picked it up and then danced around wildly so that her throw was messed up and the bowling ball flew with uncanny accuracy right at Tadase's foot._

"_OW!" Tadase shot to his feet and began hopping around on one foot._

"_Rima is bad at bowling, too," Kusukusu laughed._

"_Sh-Shut up, Kusukusu! Sorry, Tadase!"_

"_It's okay," Tadase said through clenched teeth, wiping away at his watering eyes._

"_Are you okay?" Nadeshiko took my hand and helped me to stand. "Do you need ice?" both went pink, realizing what she was doing, and she quickly lowered her gaze._

_At the same moment that Nadeshiko knelt to help him, Azumi shot forward like a rocket, stealthily picking at the clasp around her bearer's neck where her dreamcatcher necklace lay. The pendant and chain immediately slid down, pooling onto the floor. The little chara snatched it up and zoomed away to where Nadeshiko's jacket lay hidden under the table._

"_I'm good." Tadase watched her hopefully._

"_You two are hopeless," Temari grumbled under her breath._

"_I'll go get an ice pack!" Amu leapt to her feet and sprinted away at the speed of light._

_At that same moment, Yaya stood in line, tapping her foot in great impatience for the five pizzas, two with bell peppers and three just cheese. She stood together with a silent Kairi inside a small pizza shop that resided within the bowling alley. The bored-looking employee had immediately brightened upon seeing the two and had rushed back after taking their order to help the chef, apparently desperate for something to do. Which meant Yaya was stuck with her ex-boyfriend. Alone._

_She really just couldn't win today, could she? Around six o'clock in the morning, she'd woken up to the sound of her brother having a wild temper tantrum, a note lying on the kitchen counter from her parents saying they would be out till the evening, and an essay. After about five hours, she got her brother to take a nap while she finished her essay, and she was almost finished when her parents came home and he started crying again. And then she realized she had neither dressed nor showered all day, and she had a half hour before her carpool with Utau, Kukai and Ikuto showed up._

_She glanced towards Kairi, who was looking extremely uncomfortable. _Ditto,_ she thought, watching him out of the corner of her eye. He looked the same as always, except a little stressed; his forest green hair, usually neatly combed, seemed a little mussed, and his oceanic blue eyes were more tired than usual. His lips were always a little chapped... still they were soft, at least to her, and so... kissable._

_Kairi blinked, as if realizing that she wa ogling him, and glanced at her. "Um... are you all right?"_

_Suddenly the cashier popped up, giving them both big smiles as she placed the five boxes on the counter. "Here you go! Would you like me to carry that for you? What table do you guys sit at?" She asked, heading towards the door._

"_Oh, we're the people at number eighteen," Yaya said cheerfully, completely unaware that this was slightly unnatural behavior (well, she was this peppy usually, so...) "Thanks!"_

"_Oh, totes!" The girl grinned, and with that she was out the door._

"_All right." Kairi sweat-dropped, then turned to her. "So, you're staring at me again."_

_She steeled herself, looking away hurriedly and gesturing vaguely towards the kit.. "Sorry, um, um, er..." She gulped nervously. His gaze was burning a hole through her head, to the point that she could literally feel his gaze like an invisible beam of heat on her flesh. She started heading towards the door subconsciously. "We should go back." She tried to open the door. Locked._

"_It's locked! Dang it, what...? Um..." Yaya trailed off as Kairi moved close to her._

"_Kairi, we should… um..." She turned towards him. He placed a hand against the door, blocking her exit. "You—you really gotta stop trapping me," She mumbled._

"_So." He stared at her evenly. "You appear to be a bit tense."_

"_Um... yes?" She asked stupidly. Jeez, he was making it impossible to think, she thought._

_He straightened and crossed his arms. "It's because of me, yes?"_

"_Why were you only clueless when we were dating?" Yaya muttered under he breath._

_He ignored this. "It's not as if I enjoy... this." He gestured between the two of them. "I lost you as a best friend and a girlfriend. We may have both fixed our relationships with the other eight of us, but not our own. Don't you want... us?"_

_Yaya flushed. "I—I do," She whispered. "But, the Curse..."_

"_Aren't you willing to try?" He demanded._

"_You weren't before!" Yaya protested._

_Kairi sighed. "It's not as if I want this to be happening. Do you really believe I'm the sort of person who will just stand by and watch the people he lo—he cares for be taken away from him?"_

_She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "You love me?"_

_He blushed. "Um—yes—well—you—I mean, I—" He swallowed, any ounce of his dignity stomped on, dumped in a hole and left to die._

"_You're still my best friend," She told him. "I still love you, too."_

"_But if this doesn't work..." Kairi trailed off. "If we can't be together like that..."_

"_I'm willing to try if you're willing," Yaya said hopefully._

_He gave her a smile, and yet she could see something in his eyes. "I'm always willing to try," He said softly, and kissed her on the cheek._

"I win again!" Utau cheered.

"I almost had that last one, though!" Kukai insisted. "One more round!"

"Eat. Your dinner. Now." Ikuto said in a dangerous voice. Kukai, who sat right next to him, hurriedly took a bite out of his untouched pizza, glancing at Ikuto's coat pocket where he was known to keep a Swiss Army Knife. Utau looked ready to argue, but seemed to decide against it and grabbed a slice out of the one remaining pepper pizza.

"After this, we should probably all head home," I said. "Since this place closes at ten-thirty, and it's ten now."

"We all have rides home, right?" Amu asked in a motherly, worried way. It seemed that even after a month of not speaking to each other, we were still close as ever. There was still that level of strain, of awkward and forced conversation with this Curse in mind. I mean, yes, most of us had made up (except for Nadeshiko and I) and for hours it had seemed like everything was normal, just as it should be, and yet that little hint, that miniscule reminder that we weren't masters of our own destiny seemed to weigh heavy on all our , it was just so hard to stay away from each other...

It was strange, I noticed now. We may be as close as ever, but remembering the looks on everyones' faces, which must have been mirrored on my own, were unsure, worried, and above all, scared. But we still acted like we had always done, if not even closer. It was like the experience with the demon had brought us all much closer than we had ever been before. Now, I found that together with the rest, I didn't think of us as anything but 'us' or 'the other nine', like we were a set. To know that ten people could be so close as to know practically everything about each other, to nearly be one whole separated into ten even after being told we weren't meant to be this way... it was a bit strange. And that didn't quite add up.

In fact, I realized, as the night had progressed, our love lives in particular weren't going so well, which was even stranger. Amu and Ikuto had grown clingier to each other, as if determined to prove they were in love with or without the Lock and Key, both of which I noticed were not present round Amu's neck or on Ikuto's pocket chain. Utau and Kukai were both more aggressively competitive and slightly hostile with each other, Rima and Nagihiko were bickering (well, actually, that was fairly normal) Yaya and Kairi were attempting extremely awkward and forced conversation, and Nadeshiko and I... well, she still wouldn't look me in the eye... But strangest of all, Amu seemed much pushier and determined than usual to get us all back together and keep it that way.

Utau stood, yawning. "Ahh, I'm exhausted. I'm gonna head out now. See you guys later."

"Later," We all chorused, and I furrowed my brow at how odd it was we all spoke together. Then I shook myself. We really were close, weren't we? That was just it. Right?

"I should get home, too," Amu rubbed her eyes, snuggling closer to Ikuto. "But this was really fun! We should do it again as soon as possible!" She urged.

Rima snickered. "Well, it was fun losing, anyway. Seeing as either Kukai or Utau won every single one of the games."

"I got more points," Utau told him, glaring at him in a not-so-friendly way. "So I win."

"But I won more games," Kukai argued, just as hostile.

"Let's arm wrestle, then!"

"For the win!"

"Nadeshiko and I should get home," Nagihiko said cheerfully over the ongoing, slightly violent and heated arm-wrestle-tournament between Kukai and Utau. "You two should work on that unresolved sexual tension."

Immediately the two choked and flushed bright red, completely forgetting about their game. "N-Nagi!" Kukai spluttered, appalled.

Rima was rolling around on the ground, laughing hysterically. "S-Sexual tension!" She choked.

"There better not be _any_ sexual tension between the two of you," Ikuto said threateningly, his eyes ablaze. "RIGHT?!"

"Aw, don't stifle them." Nadeshiko whacked his arm in a sisterly way, raising her eyebrows suggestively at Amu. "I mean, you guys have loads of sexual tension."

Immediately Amu went brick red and began wailing at Nadeshiko, who burst out laughing. "W-WE HAVE NO SEXUAL—"

"What?! No sex?!" Ikuto pouted, nuzzling her cheek and purring like a cat. "I thought that was all we were going to do for the next five hours, Amu!"

"So I can take you home," Kairi said to Yaya, who nodded. "See you guys later."

"Bye," I said cheerfully, now attempting to pry Ikuto off Amu, seeing as he was trying to molest her and I distinctly remember her telling me she wanted to wait till marriage. The two left, waving goodbye before disappearing.

"IKUTO! GET OFF ME!" Amu screeched.

"Please get off Amu," I smiled brightly. "Amu wants to wait till marriage, remember?"

"Exactly!" Amu huffed.

"Plus, you can molest her 24/7 afterwards," Rima commented.

"Exact—RIMA!" Amu yelled.

Ikuto brightened. "That's right! Then I can tie you to the bedposts—"

"Who even said—"

"—and a do little of this—"

"—we were even getting married—"

"—and you'd moan, 'Oh, Ikuto!—"

"—no way that I'd marry this pervert—"

"I think that it's about time for us to go home," Nagihiko interrupted. "I'll see you guys later?"

"Oh, yeah! How about New Year's?" Amu asked excitedly, now fending off Ikuto again and back to her unusually pushiness.

"Sounds great. See you later," Nagihiko said calmly, hugging Amu and accepting his goodbye noogie from Ikuto. He sent me a pointed look I didn't really understand. "Later, Tadase."

"Bye, Amu." Nadeshiko smiled, hugging Amu, protesting as Ikuto attempted to give her a noogie as well. She looked at me, flushing, and looked away, thrusting out her hand. "Bye, T-Tadase."

I stared at her, opening and closing my mouth and trying to say something. Finally I gave up and just shook her hand, feeling miserable. Nadeshiko walked away murmuring something I couldn't hear, and Nagihiko punched my arm and sent me a threatening glare that said, 'you-said-you-wouldn't-hurt-my-sister-and-you-did-so-you'd-better-watch-your-back-because-I'm-going-to-hurt-you'.

"I'd better be going," Amu giggled, patting my shoulder in a way that I thought seemed to say I'm-not-telling-you-something. "See you guys!" She kissed Ikuto and left.

"Soooo..." Ikuto said slyly. I gulped nervously. "How's it with Nadeshiko?"

"You know how exactly how it's going," I told him miserably. 'She keeps avoiding me like I've got the plague."

" Why do I feel like I've heard that before...?" Ikuto sighed. "Never mind. You do realize you're doing the same exact thing you were doing four years ago?"

"It's different," I insisted. "I waited too long to say anything to Amu, but I never really had a chance with her, anyways."

"Maybe." Ikuto looked at me. "But you weren't meant to be with Nadeshiko, either, were you?"

I swallowed hard. It was hard to face, but it was true. I knew her past, I knew who Hisashi was, and I knew exactly what was going through Nadeshiko's mind. And she was right. She had originally been meant to be with him. It was sick and it was wrong, but I couldn't deny the truth: Hisashi had died so she could be with me.

"I know you feel like what happened to her is your fault." He smiled sadly. "And maybe you know more about it than I do. But it's still the same thing. You're choking up. You won't make a move because you're scared. And you're guilty. But don't you think the rest of us are guilty, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that you're not the only one who thinks—no, knows—that she wouldn't be here, that all the bad things that happened to her wouldn't have occurred if it wasn't for us. None of us were meant to be friends with her, either. It's our fault, too. But if she doesn't blame us... why would she blame you?"

"Because I killed someone she loved." I pulled away and sat down hard on a plastic seat, putting my head in my hands. "Because it's my fault her best friend is dead. It's my fault her whole world burned down. It's my fault that she has nightmares every night, it's my fault that she tries not to cry whenever something reminds her of what she used to have, it's all my fault—" My voice broke.

"You're being stupid." Ikuto sat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulder. "Look, I know this Curse business makes everything different. It's hard thinking how different our lives would be if we didn't come together. But that's the past now. We can't go back and change that, and if we could, why would we? We have good memories, we're closer to each other than anyone else, and what happens will happen. What has happened can't be changed. You have to accept that."

I closed my eyes. "I don't think I can."

"Sure you can." He clapped me on the back. "You got over Amu and fell in love with a girl you haven't even known a full year yet." He stood. "I'm heading back to my apartment. Why don't you sleep on it?" And with that, he was gone.

I watched him go, then sighed and turned to grab my jacket. Then I stopped. There, lying on the table, forgotten, was Nadeshiko's jacket. I bit my lip, then decided, and grabbed her jacket. Something fell out of the pocket, glittering and sparkling. I knelt to pick it up, and froze.

A tiny dreamcatcher with a moonstone woven into the filaments lay at my feet, glittering on its delicate silver chain.

"_So." Nagihiko said calmly, breaking the silence as he and his twin sister got into the car that he and Nadeshiko had 'borrowed'. For a guy who didn't often have the chance to drive, he was quite competent. Then again, it wasn't as if he hadn't 'borrowed' the family cars before. "Tonight was fun."_

"_Yup." Nadeshiko, who sat shotgun, was suddenly regretting her choice. "Real fun."_

_He turned to look at her. "I see you made up with the others. Well, most of the others." She said nothing. "Nadeshiko..."_

"_I don't want to talk about it." Nagihiko sighed._

"_You know, when you told me you and Tadase broke up, I was ready to cut off his... well, make it so he could never have kids, let alone have sex again."_

"_And I wouldn't have stopped you," Nadeshiko said angrily._

_Nagihiko rolled his eyes. "Yes, you would've, you'd have judo-flipped me and then started screaming at me before locking me in my room and sending Rima every embarrassing picture of me you have. And yes," Nagihiko gave his twin a dirty look, "I do know you have loads of embarrassing pictures, I just haven't figured out where so I can destroy them."_

"_Azumi!" Nadeshiko hissed. "Did you tell him?"_

"_Of course not!" She whispered back frantically._

_Nagihiko, who didn't hear that exchange, went on. "I don't understand why you're being harsh to him. You were the one to break up with him, after all."_

"_I know, I know, it's just..." She looked through the window. They still hadn't turned on the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "You know," She said quietly. "I mean, I don't blame him or anything. It's not his fault that... Hisashi... is..." She stopped speaking, unable to say anymore._

"_But either way you know for sure you weren't meant to be together," Nagihiko finished softly. "Which means that you broke up with him because you knew it could happen eventually."_

"_It was wrong of me, I know," Nadeshiko moaned. "But if we did end up splitting later, it would have been way more painful... Where is my coat?"_

"_Be as it may, he is still your best friend. Except for me," Nagihiko added. "It hurts him as a best friend and as a boyfriend."_

"_Crap," Nadeshiko muttered, now feeling at her neck. "Crap, damn, shit, fu—"_

"_What's wrong?" Nagihiko asked curiously._

"_My jacket!" She searched frantically. "My necklace! Where is it?!"_

"_You forgot your jacket? And your necklace?" Nagihiko was confused. "Oh. Then—"_

"_They must still be in the bowling alley!" Nadeshiko leapt out of the car without another word and dashed back into Cosmic Bowling Alley._

"That's my jacket!"

I whirled around to see Nadeshiko hurrying towards me. "That's mine," She panted, and took the jacket from me. Her eyes met mine, and then she looked away. "Thanks."

"You..." I stuttered, still clutching the necklace in my grip. "The... necklace? … How? I thought... You wouldn't have..."

"What?" She stared at me. Her gaze fell to my hands, where I cupped the beautiful necklace that I had planned to give her. "Oh." She went pink. "That's, um. What you gave me. For Christmas. It's, um, really pretty."

"... I don't understand... why, you're... still wearing it?" She stared at me.

"Then, if you don't want me to... I won't. Bye." Still clutching the pendant in her grip, she turned and began walking away very stiffly and hurriedly.

"Wait." I leapt forward and grabbed her shoulder. She started and looked at me, her cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"No, it's not you're fault, I—" She looked down. "I thought that... never mind. But I'm not mad. I promise."

I watched her, then pulled her close, hugging her tight. She stiffened, then relaxed and hugged me back, burying her face in my neck. "I'm glad we can be friends," She said softly.

I froze at her emphasis on friends. "Friends?"

"Friends," She said firmly.

I met her eyes, then swallowed hard. It was good enough for me.

"Right. Friends."

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	47. Alcohol Was Probably a Bad Idea!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! **

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore, Avengers, Morning Musume, Kahlua, or Smileage!**

* * *

**Utau**

It was five-thirty that I picked Kukai up from soccer practice. He was still in his practice clothes and covered in sweat, grinning at me as he slid into the passenger seat.. "Hey, babe. You look great."

"You didn't change out," I wrinkled my nose.

"... Hi to you, too," He muttered, his grin flickering. "Why, what's up?"

"You stink."

"So?"

"So you smell bad."

"You do," Il commented.

"I can take a shower there." He was no longer smiling. "So it'll be fine."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "You're mad now," I mumbled, too low for him to hear, and sighed in exasperation.

"Were we supposed to bring drinks?" He asked me, all humor gone.

"I don't know."

"Weren't you supposed to remember that?"

"I'm not sure," I said through my teeth.

"We should stop to get drinks."

"Are you mocking me?" I sent him a glare.

"I'm just saying we should get drinks!"

I ignored him, pulling off the highway and coming to a stop in front of a gas station store. "Fine. I'll get some stupid drinks."

"Utau—"

I shoved the car door open and slammed it shut, storming into the store. The clerk eyed me warily, but I ignored him and strode over to the fridge and grabbed a bunch of drinks that looked like coffee and a bottle of champagne. (Admittedly, it was a very nice gas station.) I slapped money and my ID down on the counter, and the clerk handed me the change, looking a bit shaken as I banged out of the store and got back into the car, shoving the drinks at him. "Here are your stupid drinks."

He took them from me and tossed them in the back seat, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"There's glass in there, don't just throw it," I snapped.

"You should've told me that before!" He said angrily.

We stared each other down, glaring at each other. Finally I turned away, starting the car. We did not speak for the rest of the way to Ikuto's apartment. Daichi, Iru and El were muttering to each other the whole way, but I paid no attention.

When we got to the apartment, there was no sound coming from the other side of his door. Using my key, I threw open the door with as much restraint as I could. Contrary to my statement, everyone was there. Seated at the long black leather couch that lined the wall beneath the long dirty window were Amu and Tadase, with Yaya in the matching chair perpendicular to the sofa.

Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were in the kitchen baking cookies, Nagi humming brightly in the silence as Nade watched on tensely. neat, modern kitchen with an island and cork cupboards, along with a cheap fridge. There were no pictures on the walls, no personal belongings or even a television; because Ikuto wasn't always here, there was no point in keeping things he didn't often use.

It was fairly quiet, with some slightly awkward chatter from Amu, but mostly it was silent and tense. It was as if the easy banter of the bowling alley had been mostly due to the distraction of bowling. But now, with nothing to do but sit and talk... Although, the guardian characters all seemed to be getting along fine, crowding around each other in a circle and whispering.

"Hey." I nodded in greeting to each. Amu was the only one who grinned at me (admittedly, it was kind of frightening.) "Where should I put these?" I held up the drinks.

"Ask Ikuto," Nagi replied.

I shrugged and dumped them on the counter, pulling off my heels and walking past the kitchen, down the short hallway and knocking on the door on the right wall. "Yo, Ikuto!"

"It's Kairi," An annoyed voice said.

"Oh. Sorry." I turned and headed to the end of the hall, yanking open Ikuto's door and pounding on his personal bathroom door. "You, Ikuto! You in there?"

"I'm kind of busy!" He called. "Could you wait a second?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes, and brushed past Kukai, who had followed me. "You don't have to follow me everywhere," I told him, avoiding his eyes. He shrugged, pulling off our coats and tossing them into the pile in the guest room across from the bathroom.

"Hurry up, guys!" Amu called. "Ikuto's got some American movie running on his iPad, and Nagi made popcorn!"

"It's called the Avengers," She told me as I sat down. "It's supposed to be this really cool movie with comic-book heroes from America!"

"Oh, yeah, I think I watched some of those movies," I said vaguely, glancing at the box. "That's one's, like, Captain USA, and that one is... Titanium Man? No, that's not it... Well, and that one's the Hulk, I know that."

"Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye," Nadeshiko corrected. All of us turned to stare at her. She went pink. "I, um. Saw it when it first came out. In English."

"Well, okay, then," Rima muttered.

Captain America, who I learned was a guy from the past named Steve Rogers, stepped closer to Iron Man, a 'genius billionaire playboy philanthropist' named Tony Stark. He leaned forward, his face a foot or two from the smaller, cockier man. "_Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."_

Tony scoffed. _"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?"_

The two continued to argue, as did the rest of them, until Hawkeye, who'd been brainwashed, blew up part of the building and Steve dragged Tony away.

"Wait, wait wait!" Yaya paused the movie. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that Steve Rogers and Tony Stark are gay and have the hots for each other!"

"... Really?" I stared at her like she was crazy, because she really was. "You're freaking kidding me. In what world would Captain America and Iron Man be in love with each other?"

Amu frowned. "I thought that Thor and Loki seemed more gay. That's not how you would normally treat a brother..."

"Exactly. What brother touches his brother like that?" Nadeshiko said contemplatively.

"Wait, what?!" I laughed incredulously. "You're all just messing around, right?"

"Yeah, what's gotten into all of you?" Rima shook her head in bewilderment.

Ikuto shrugged. "I really only noticed Black Widow and Hawkeye. I think there's something there."

Nade said easily, "I think Agent Coulson's got a boy-crush on Steve. That's really just obvious, though."

"The hell is wrong with you people?" I muttered.

"Thor might be straight, but that much anger in Loki has to be because of unrequited love," Yaya insisted. "Either way, Loki has to be gay."

"You are all beginning to worry me,"Kairi said, looking genuinly anxious.

"Yaya, what are you doing?" Amu asked, looking over Yaya's shoulder. She didn't answer, but she had an enormous grin on her face as she scanned her phone. Amu's eyes went wide. "Oh, my gosh."

"What?" The rest of us looked over her shoulder. "Oh, my God, Yaya, you're reading fanfiction?"

"Mature fanfiction." Ikuto gaped at the screen. "This stuff is dirtier than the things I plan on doing with Amu." He fumbled for something, probably a writing utensil. "I need to take notes of this."

"I love lemons!" Yaya giggled. "This one is Stark Spangled Banner, this one is Thunderfrost, this one is Blackhawk..."

"Already shipping names," Rima mumbled. "That's it. You guys are insane."

"I think Stony and Thorki are easier to say," Nagihiko commented. "And what about Coulson and Steve?"

"Not you, too!" Rima said in horror.

"No, no, Steve and Tony are way hotter!" Yaya argued.

"That's true," Amu admitted. "But then, isn't Thunderfrost—or Thorki, I guess—considered incest?"

"Sometimes you can't control who you fall in love with," Yaya said sagely. "Look at you and Ikuto. He's, like, five years older than her, but there's no way she'd find anyone else but him."

"Hey, now..." Ikuto crossed his arms.

"Imagine how weird it would be to find out people have been writing fanfictions about you!' Amu shivered. "That's kind of freaky!"

"You know what I think?" I interrupted. "I think we should just watch the stupid American movie and stop shipping the superheroes together."

* * *

"_It's so weird~dechu!" Pepe complained. "What happened to the normal mood from a few days ago?! They're talking about fanfictions and shipping!"_

"_Well, Utau and Kukai got into a fight," Il supplied. "It's better than them all arguing, I guess. Don't they usually do this?"_

"_Don't worry, don't worry!" Ran cheered. "We've got a great plan!"_

"_I wouldn't necessarily call it great," Kiseki muttered._

_Su huffed. "Of course our plan is wonderful~desu. Su will make romantic drinks and food."_

"_Then we'll romance-up the atmosphere, and at the end of the night we'll remind them about the traditional New Year's first kiss!" Dia giggled. "And even if it doesn't work, maybe it'll at least improve their friendship!"_

"_It'll work great," Miki said firmly, giving Kiseki a look._

"_Yup~nya!" Yoru agreed, a little too quickly. The kingly chara shot the cat chara a nasty look, and the two began making faces at each other behind an oblivious Miki's back. The other guardian characters sweat-dropped._

* * *

"So," Amu said brightly. "What's up with the rest of you?"

"The drinks are in the fridge," I told him. Kukai grumbled something. I turned to him, shooting him a mean look. "What?" I asked stiffly.

"Nothing," He said in a tone that obviously meant something.

"If you have something to say, spit it out," I snapped.

"I said nothing," He growled.

"All right, you two," Ikuto grumbled. "You got problems, work them out or something. None of us want to hear your relationship troubles. I'm fine with kicking both of you out of here."

"Yes, please work it out," Amu insisted, suddenly looking rather frightened.

"Don't bother." Kukai got to his feet and stormed off, slamming the door to the guest room.

"You wanna leave, why don't you go through the front door?" I called after him. No answer. I snarled under my breath and stood. "I need a drink."

"Can you get me one, too?" Rima asked.

I headed towards the fridge, snatching two of the coffee-drinks and tossing her one as I flopped down on the ground. "Hm. These are pretty good."

"They're kind of big," Rima commented.

The two of us drank in silence. A couple of long, awkward minutes later, Amu and Tadase both got up to get drinks for themselves, most likely so they wouldn't have to be the ones to break in the silence. Then Nade, Ikuto, Yaya, Nagihiko and Kairi. Rima, sending me a look that clearly said, 'you-should-be-the-one-doing-this' knocked on the guest room door and gave Kukai a drink.

It was about half an hour later that I sensed something was terribly wrong.

"Soooo, Iku-koi," Amu purred, crawling onto her boyfriend, who was blathering on and on about some random violin he felt guilty about because he'd spilled coffee on it, "Howz'it?"

"And then I felt so bad, and Amu, what are you doing on my lap, and then I couldn't tell him, but I felt so guilty about spilling the coffee on it so I stole it and got him a new one, and A-AMU! YOU PERVERT, STOP TRYING TO MOLEST ME!"

"Whaaatcha talkin'-bout?" She drawled. "Yourrrrawlayyys tryin'ta molest me..." She giggled, hiccuping. "... I thought I'd, uhmmm... return the favorrrrr..." She buried her face in his neck. For the first time in my life, and probably everyone in this rooms', Ikuto's face was bright red.

Not that anyone was paying attention.

**"One, I want you to be with me,"** Nade sang at the top of her lungs, taking a swig of her 'coffee-milk' and pulling off her hoodie.

**"Two, I want you to touch me,"** Nagi sang, following Nade's lead and dragging off his shirt.

**"Three, I want you to laugh, so I wait for you..."** Nade and Nagi sang at the top of their lungs, taking long drinks and proceeding to take off their pants as the regaled us with another song by **Morning Musume.**

"AN' THENNNN..." Tadase roared, tears filling his eyes, "I SHED YESH... BUT I DON' WANNA JUS' BE FRIENDZZZ... GOD I HATE CELERY!"

"Heyyyy, purty thingggg," Kairi laughed stupidly, raising his eyebrows up and down in what appeared to be an attempt at innuendo at Yaya, who laughed and stood up, running around the room. "Wai, wai, come backkk... I'mma tie you to the mattress... An' do a lil' o' this..."

"I'm a boy who knows KA-RA-TE!" Yaya yelled, waving her hands around wildly.

"No yerrr not... I'll prove it..." Kairi chased after her.

Rima muttered something that sounded a lot like cuss words under her breath, apparently still sober. Apparently she and I were the only two who were resistant to alcohol.

"You're really pretty," I murmured, putting a finger under her chin. "Like a little doll. Let's play dress-up!" I giggled like a school-girl.

Wait, scratch that. Just her.

Rima went bright red, then yelled, "I AM NOT A DOLL!" in perfect English, and executed a perfect judo flip on me.

Never mind. All drunk.

"Rimaaaaaa!" Nagihiko slurred, rushing after her, begging for her to let him do some extremely inappropriate things to her, at which she threatened some extremely violent-sounding things in her flawless English.

"What's in this?" I lifted up the bottle. Kahlua milk. Of course.

Kukai popped his head out of the room. "Wha's goin onnn?" Oh, he was drunk, too!

"Let's go play dress up!" I dashed into the guest room, giggling. "I'll be the prince and you can be the princess!"

"Hnnn... okay...?" He let me pull him back onto the bed as I happily began stripping him to prepare for stuffing him into Nadeshiko's shed clothes.

* * *

"_Amu..." Ikuto moaned, his voice hitching as the beautiful pink-haired girl pressed her lips against his neck, trailing her fingers up underneath his shirt. She sat atop him, a completely out-of-character smirk on her face as she nuzzled the space between his jawbone and neck, nibbling on his ear._

"_Jus' returninnnn the favorrrr." Her breath tickled his ear, and he shivered, eyes dilated and so dark as he took her in. His mouth was open just the slightest, eyelids fluttering as her fingertips left sparking electricity along his skin. "My lil' neko."_

"_What the hell's going on?" He panted, eyes rolling back into his head as his shirt, now unbuttoned, was cast away, her lips trailing down his chest. He was trembling as she circled the bones of his hips with her thumbs. She kissed him, her mouth hot and wet, sliding her tongue along his bottom lip and biting down gently on it._

"_Shouldn't—shouldn't I be the one who's—oh!" He gasped, his head falling back as she rolled her hips against his, grinning evilly. "Amu..."_

"_Please don't leave me," Amu whispered, her tone suddenly desperate and frightened, and captured his lips with hers._

"_**The Curse unleashed upon ten of pure heart,"**__Amu whispered, tears now dripping down her face. __**"**__**Pieces to the whole, torn quite apart..."**_

"_Amu?"_

_She buried her face in his neck. __**"**__**Death for the castle and flowers in bloom, one choice shall decide the Heroes' doom..." **__Her voice shook. __**"**__**The ties between cut and bonds to be lost, Destiny destroyed at catalyst star-crossed."**_

"_... Amu...?"_

"_I'm sorry." She flew up and away. "I'm so sorry."_

_The clock struck midnight; it was 2016..._

* * *

"Heeere's Kukai!" I said triumphantly, showing off my boyfriend, whose face was now coated in blue eyeshadow, bright red lipstick, blush and messily glued-on fake eyelashes. He wore Nadeshiko's white sweater, which I'd accidentally torn slightly. I'd stuffed him in Amu's skirt, which I'd found laying around when I'd decided Nade's pants weren't girly enough. He wore Rima's headband, which she'd chucked at Nagihiko while screaming in wild English, Yaya's bow necklace, which she'd personally put around his neck because it wasn't boyish or 'KA-RA-TE!' enough, and my white slipper boots, which were lucky enough to fit on at least part of his feet.

"He's beautiful!" Nadeshiko gushed, now completely naked like her brother. "Come sing with us!"

She grabbed his hand, and he joined the circle of Amu, Tadase, Kairi, Nade and Nagi. They danced around in a circle singing** Please Miniskirt Postwoman! by Smileage.**

**"Miniskirt postwoman  
****Calmly and quite naturally  
I want to become cool enough to make my heart get delivered  
Please! Please!"**

"Are you sure you guys are drunk, not high?" Ikuto mumbled.

* * *

Light filtered in through the dirty window, and I groaned, pulling the covers up over my head, refusing to wake up and trying to ignore the awful throbbing in my head. Kukai lay beside me, half naked and wearing a skirt. "The hell happened last night?" I mumbled to myself. "I don' remember..."

Then there was a scream. I flew out of bed and stumbled towards towards the sound blindly, shading my eyes. "Wuzz' goin' on?"

I saw Nadeshiko clutching a blanket, her cheeks bright red. Tadase trying not to stare at her, red as a tomato. Nagihiko was standing between them, trying to calm them down.

"Why are you naked?!" Tadase yelled. I winced.

"Stop _yelling!"_ I said grouchily._ "_Both you stop flipping out. Nadeshiko, Nagihiko, get dressed. You guys are giving me a headache."

Nagihiko, also naked, groaned, trying to keep a blanket hoisted around his shoulders. "Dear God, what happened last night?"

Rima, who was curled up on the kitchen counter, was grumbling what sounded a lot like cuss words, only this time in Japanese instead of English.

"Utau what did you _do?!"_ This time Amu flew down the hall from Ikuto's room, brandishing a familiar-looking coffee-milk bottle. At least she was fully clothed. "This is Kahlua milk!"

"I didn't know that!" I said furiously. "Obviously!"

"What was I doing in Ikuto's bed?" Amu wailed.

Said guy came stumbling out of his room "What the hell?" Amu went bright red, dashing into the guest room and slamming the door shut, then screaming and running back out and into the bathroom across the hall.

Kukai came limping out of the guest room. "Why is everyone screaming? And why did Amu just burst in to the room and then run out screeching like a bat? And why am I wearing a skirt?"

A lump that I had not noticed before on the couch moved, and Yaya poked her head out of the sheets and stepped out, a blanket tied around her neck like a cape, clutching her head. "Hnnn...? Why are Nadeshiko and Nagihiko naked? Ahhh..." She winced and clutched at her head again. "My head_ hurts..."_

"Why are you two still naked?!" I said furiously. "Put some goddamn clothes on!"

Kairi poked his head out from behind the couch. "How did I get behind this couch? What the... Should I even ask?"

"Why _are_ you two naked?" I muttered. "I vaguely remember drinking from these," I motioned towards the bottles, "and then I remember... Amu trying to molest Ikuto, who wouldn't stop talking... and I remember hitting on Rima, who spoke flawless English and preformed judo flips on Nagihiko... I think Nagi and Nade were singing and stripping... And I remember dressing Kukai up like a princess and dancing around in a circle singing a song, and that's it."

"I remember making Nagihiko pass out," Rima said helpfully. And then ranting for a while and then passing out."

"I remember trying to climb on the walls and then getting knocked out by something hard," Tadase mumbled.

Nadeshiko flushed. "I think you passed out because I tossed a shoe at your head."

"I definitely remember Amu trying to molest me..." Ikuto shot the bathroom door an evil grin, as if he could pass his vision through doors. "And I'm planning on returning the favor. But," He said with a frown, "She started crying and yelling something I can't quite remember... Did you add drugs or something to those drinks?" Ikuto asked with interest.

" Of course not!" I snapped. "I didn't even know that that was what I'd bought. And um..." We stared at the twins. "Well, they say that you're only truly best friends after you've seen each other naked, right?"

"I'm putting clothes on," Nadeshiko muttered. "Kukai, give me back my skirt."

* * *

_As the ten were all exiting the apartment except for Ikuto, each avoiding each other's gazes, Nagihiko and Nadeshiko both made their way out to the car, resigned at the awaiting berating their mother was going to give the both of them. A mysterious force seemed to sweep over them both, and they paused, frowning. _

"_**Death for the castle and flowers in bloom," **__A voice seemed to say._

"_Did you hear something?" Nadeshiko asked Nagihiko._

_His brow furrowed. "I don't think so."_

_The two dismissed it as nothing, and went on their way, unaware of the tragic fate that lay in wait._

* * *

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	48. Because America is a Magical Place!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! ****I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Rima**

It was late afternoon on February 6th, and today I was turning eighteen.

After managing to talk my parents, Amu and Nagihiko out of having a large birthday party with everyone I'd been even remotely close to in the eighteen short years of my life, I'd concinced them that a simple party, one with just my parents and I, was good enough for me. Just one day of forgotten happiness stolen from years long past seemed like a miracle, especially since I was just getting done being grounded for that little episode at New Year's, but here I was, resting by a skating rink with my father as my mother went to go get warm drinks.

Admittedly, my mother and father had either been on opposite sides of the rink or by my side, and they seemed tense around each other, but it seemed a small price to pay. Then again, Amu kept texting me like a crazy person and demanding to know whether or not I was still all right. It was like she thought that ice skating was extremely dangerous or something.

Amu had been acting very suspicious as of late, I reflected. She seemed constantly agitated and distant, in class and in Student Council meetings. She'd gotten very clingy, demanding all our time and texting us nonstop, which although Amu was friendly, she was definitely not _that_ clingy. She also was very careful to act as normal as possible, as if she thought she could fool us all. I hadn't said anything yet, but that was only because I knew I'd find out more by not saying anything and prodding around under her wild radar. Also, she was kind of scary. And I do not get scared easily.

"So, how have you been, Rima?" Papa asked, smiling down at me. It had been a long time since I'd seen him smile when Mama was around...

"I'm fine." I looked out into the rink; it was a bit crowded, what with the weather forecast saying that we wouldn't have ice much longer. "I'm eighteen. But I don't really feel like I am."

"Rima is happy, though!" Kusukusu giggled, and I smiled.

"Are you ready for college?"

I shrugged lightly. "I hope so. I'm still waiting on receiving most of my college scholarships that I applied for before."

"I've got the snacks," My mother called, carrying several drinks. I rushed forward to help her; lately she'd been a little arthritic. "Here is your cocoa, Rima." She paused, tensing a bit, and I took Papa's drink.

"Your expresso, Papa," I said quietly.

He smiled, a little terse now, and nodded in a stiff way towards Mama. "Thank you."

She nodded, then took a long sip of her mocha latte—with whipped cream, the way she got it when she was particularly stressed—and set it down. "Do you want to keep skating?" I nodded.

It had only been a few more minutes of skating when my father and mother both went to take a bathroom break. I skated by myself close to the edge of the rink, not sure whether or not I was glad I had a little alone time or lonely.

It was that moment that something hard hit me in the side, I gasped and went flying over the edge of the rink and into the bleachers, landing in the luckily cushy lap of some guy I didn't know.

"Rima!" Kusukusu flew to my side.

"Ow," I mumbled, rubbing my side, where it felt like a bruise was now blossoming.

"I am so sorry!" A tall, burly man apologized, looking ashamed and embarrassed. "I didn't see you there!"

"It's all right," I said quietly, wincing a little. "I'm sorry, sir," I said to the man I'd landed on.

"Rima!" Suddenly my mother and father were by my sides, helping me up off the confused person's lap.

"Rima, what happened?!" Mama said frantically. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have gone to the bathroom!"

"It wasn't your fault," Papa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. My eyes widened as my father accidentally seemed to forget that he was divorced with Mama and he was definitely not allowed to touch her. "Neither of us could've stopped it."

On a stroke of pure miracle, my mother nodded. "You're right."

I watched the scene, smiling a little to myself. It had been a long time since I'd seen them together like that.

Amu's ringtone, which I had recently changed to the theme song of the movie Psycho, blared from my coat pocket and made us all jump. I hurriedly pulled it out of my pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rima!" Amu's voice shot through the speaker. I got the strangest feeling that she was grinning madly. "Hi! So, how are you? I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages!"

"Amu, you called me fifteen minutes ago."

"Just checking to make sure you were safe."

"Well..." I glanced at my parents. "I kind of got hit by someone by accident and went flying out the ring, but I'm fine."

"WHAT?!" I covered the mouthpiece and patiently waited as she flipped out. My parents, who often went crazy and worried over me, seemed rather alarmed at my best friend's reaction. When she was done, I took my hand off the mouthpiece.

"Are you done?"

"You should go to the hospital!" She said hysterically. "What if you got seriously injured? What if you broke a bone or something?! Maybe you need to go to the ER!"

I sighed and hung up. "Maybe it's time for lunch."

* * *

_Amu hung up the phone when she realized that Rima had dropped her call, biting her lip nervously. After that night over two months ago, she hadn't been able to sleep well at night, haunted by images of the lifeless bodies of her friends, hunched shoulders and broken cries, walking away without a backwards glance. Every night she woke in a cold sweat._

_No matter what she had to do, she decided, she would not let this happen. She couldn't. Not when everything was at stake. She would never give up, no matter how long it took. And so for the past to months, she had been taking careful watch of her friends, trying to hold everything together and keep her friends safe. She had also decided not to tell them, not because she was ashamed of what she had done, but because in case she failed, she knew it would only make things worse to tell the truth._

_It was hard, to stay up long hours into the night and to try her best to be everywhere her friends were, but she had to. Things, although unnoticed by her friends, were getting bad. Nagihiko and Nadeshiko had gradually gotten sicker and sicker. At first it had just been stuffy noses and small headaches, and then colds, then an awful stomach flu where both twin only drank water and broth for two weeks, and now pneumonia. Rima had managed to get paper cuts on each of her ten fingers, stubbed each of her toes, almost broken her arm, badly scraped her arms and legs, and had become the victim of several classroom and hallway accidents, including falling down the stairs. Kairi had mentioned he was thinking of spending his last year of school at his old town and argued constantly with everyone, especially Yaya, who was starting to lose her bubbly charm. Utau was looking frazzled and stressed, once saying she was getting sick of all the drama being a pop star. Kukai got hurt often at soccer practice. Tadase, who had been determined with getting Nadeshiko back, had slowly but surely begun to give up and was hanging around Amu way more than he usually did. Ikuto was growing more and more distant; he accidentally called her 'Imouto' for the first time just last week._

_She'd sworn up and down that she would fix everything. But deep in her heart, inside her most painful, agonized thoughts she assured herself were not her fault, she wondered: _Can I change Destiny?

* * *

"This sushi is delicious, Rima," My mother said contentedly. "I haven't been to such a strange restaurant before."

"The owners have English-sounding names," My father commented, pointing at the menu. "Maybe they're from America?"

"Most restaurants don't serve so many different types of spicy food," I agreed. "But I remember when I came here before, the food was really good..."

The three of us sat together in a booth in a familiar restaurant called Karai!, eating an assortment of delicious spicy foods. It was past noon, the sun glittering through the glass ceiling high above outside in the mall.

I looked out the window, remembering the first time I had eaten here. It was almost a year ago, when planning Tadase's birthday party, that I had, in a spur of bravery and ego that I had never had before, grabbed Nagi's hand and ran with him to escape the wrath of a vicious Yaya.

Everything had changed from that time, I realized. Strange to think how much you could change in a year. I'd never been very outstanding in anything other than the amount of fanboys I had and the astonishing number of peoples' obsession with my looks. I wasn't known for my bravery, god forbid any athletic talent, and compared to some of my friends, like Amu or Nagihiko, I didn't have a gift for anything but comedy. Good comedy and laughter had been my comfort when I was down, like my gag manga and my comedy shows. But I felt different. Maybe I just felt stronger, more resilient against the sad moments. Or maybe, I didn't need to find happiness in other things, because... I could find it myself.

"So, Rima," Mama began, a twinkle in her eye that I hadn't seen in a very long time, "Your father and I have a surprise for you."

"When we found out, we decided that it would be a wonderful surprise," Papa smiled gently.

"What is it?"

From behind Mama's back came several envelopes. "These came in the mail just yesterday."

I raised an eyebrow as I took them. "They've already been opened?"

"We couldn't resist," Papa said apologetically.

My eyes widened as I pulled out the lettters. "Dear Mashiro Rima-san," I read aloud in a shaking voice, "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into..." I swallowed hard. "... our California State University campus in Los Angeles." My eyes sparkled as I read the next. "University of Northern Colorado, too?" I laughed aloud, then moved on to the next. My face fell slightly. Then again, and again.

"We are so happy for you," Mama gave me a tremulous smile. "No matter where you choose to go, we will be happy for you."

I looked up at them both. "I didn't get into any colleges here in Japan."

"That's all right," Papa said comfortingly. "We have enough money, you'll be able to go."

"It's not that," I said quickly, looking down. I won't get to see you, I thought. "It's just... never mind. I'm really happy." I smiled again, but now my heart wasn't in it. "Really. You know," I said, "Northern Colorado seems like a nice place. Lots of snow, and the Rocky Mountains will be beautiful."

"I hear that Denver has a wonderful art museum," Papa added. "Didn't Egypt's traveling King Tutankhamun exhibit visit?"

"The Denver Zoo is supposedly an amazing place," Mama said thoughtfully.

I watched them chatter over the mysterious and alluring world of Colorado, USA, and smiled sadly. I wouldn't see them or my friends for four years, but when I thought about what I could do there...

"My friends," I said aloud; for the first time in months, I had entirely forgotten about their existence. "I should tell them."

"Oh, yes." We stood, finished with our meal. "I suppose you want to visit your... boyfriend?" The two still seemed to have difficulty swallowing that. I nodded.

For the past few weeks, Nagihiko and Nadeshiko had both been very sick, in the hospital with pneumonia. It had been a week since the doctors pronounced them fit for company; neither of their immune systems were very strong, but after their mom managed to force their medicine down their stubborn throats, she'd told me they'd gotten much better. I'd gotten many cheerful texts from the both of them insisting they were fine and it wasn't that bad, but I'd had pneumonia before. The first few days were always the worst. I shuddered inwardly; the fever, the mucus mixed with blood, the bone-chilling coldness, the exhaustion, the vomiting... ugh. I was just glad it was finally over for the two of them.

As we paid and made our way out the door, my toes were crushed by a large group of obnoxious twelve-year-olds riding their bicycles through the mall and running over everything. I yelped in pain and then jumped away again when a furious mall cop zoomed past, blaring his whistle and nearly running over my foot like the kids.

"Ow," I said through my teeth, now shooting my EvilDeathGlare™ towards them.

"Rima! Are you okay?" My parents hurried over to help me.

"I'm fine," I said evenly. Just trying not to kill those people right now for killing my feet, I added silently, but other than that, I really was fine. "I'm going to go to the bathroom."

I strode across the mall, wincing slightly at the throbbing pain in my feet. For a moment, just before I entered the bathroom, the shadow of a presence close behind me made me turn around, but there was no one there.

"I'm just being silly," I told myself, striding into the bathroom. "What would be there that I can't defend myself against, anyways?"

* * *

_Over a decade ago, a group of men had been scouting a neighborhood, searching with hungry eyes for something, anything that would give them a little pleasure, a little money. They were a desperate, greedy, heartless bunch, people who spent all their money on liquor and drugs. They were also notorious for their bad habit of kidnapping, raping and killing children, on the run from the government. But now, the men were hungry again..._

_On one particularly beautiful day in May, a tiny, adorable girl with huge, chocolate brown eyes large as a doe's, with fringe-like lashes and long, curly blonde hair skipped down the sidewalk, oblivious to the terrible danger she was in. Her pretty rosebud mouth curved up in a grin, and she hummed a song to herself, waving her school bag back and forth. She went quiet for a moment, then laughed, glancing as if seeing something that wasn't there._

_One man in particular had gone up to her, smiling nastily at her with his yellow teeth and offering her candy. The little girl had smiled back, trusting this man and his every word, nodding and thanking him in a sweet, bell-like voice when he offered to drive her home from school. She was about to place the candy in her mouth when she stopped, as if listening. She had frozen, her eyes widening, and she glanced up at the man and then back down. _

_The candy fell from her grip as the man grabbed her arm and dragged her away, ignoring the girl as she shrieked in terror and struggled to get away as he tossed her in the back of a big black van and prepared to take off._

_By a stroke of pure, complete luck, a police car just so happened to pull up the moment she was thrown in the back of the car, appearing absolutely out of nowhere. Immediately upon spotting them, two police, a man and a woman, exited their car and sprinted towards the vehicle, tackling the man and taking him down along with the rest of the crew. Two, three, five shots were fired that afternoon mingling with the screams of a miniscule girl sobbing for her mama and papa._

_The men still alive were sentenced to death for their crimes. But somehow, one managed to slip beneath the watch of the guards and disappear into the night, never to be seen again._

_It was over a decade later that that one man in particular, a hardened and vengeful man, saw that very same girl stride into the girl's bathroom. His eyes followed her in shock and surprise, before glinting with barely contained rage and fury. In his blind anger, this man believed even now that it could only have been the fault of this one little girl that he had been on the run for so long, ten years spent of hiding._

_And so it was with cold, calculating fury and anger that this man began to plan. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Hello? Yeah, it's me. Listen..." His eyes followed Rima Mashiro, who walked right by the shadow of a man with complete oblivion. "... I found her. Yeah. That one."_

_His eyes glinted wickedly. "As slow and painful as I could possibly make it."_

* * *

The hospital was well-lit and fairly new, with stone tiles and an earthy theme, thin carpets and wall artwork. Exiting the elevator onto the fourth floor, we entered a little living room, passing a nurse in pink Hello Kitty scrubs into a sort of common area with the nurse's desk in the center with chairs positioned around and the rooms along the walls.

The Fujisaki's room was #318, the door open. Not a sound came from the room. When we entered, pushing past the curtain, we found a large room with two beds, a curtain in between pulled back, and a large window under which an extremely comfortable-looking couch and chair rested. All three, Nagi, Nade, and their mother, were snoring like several freight trains hit a herd of angry robot dinosaurs and the they were having an epic all-out brawl to the death.

I knocked quietly on the door, and Fujisaki-san jumped awake, rubbing her eyes and blinking at us. "Hmmmm...? Oh, hello, Rima-chan." She sat up and covered her yawn with her hand. "I'm sorry, we fell asleep. It's been a long week."

"We don't mean to intrude," Papa said politely.

I tiptoed over to Nagi's bedside and kissed him on the forehead. Still a bit feverish. His eyes fluttered, and he smiled up at me weakly. "Hello, Nagi."

"Hello, Rima," He said in a rough voice. "You came."

"Why do you sound surprised?" Temari sounded amused.

"Don't be stupid. Of course I came." I rolled my eyes. "What kind of girlfriend did you take me for?"

"Why don't we give you three some privacy?" Fujisaki-san said gently. I thanked her, and the three exited.

"The kind that threatened to murder me in my sleep if I even tried to plan a wild birthday party for her like everyone did for Amu," He said matter-of-factly.

"So where's my kiss, huh?" Nade's voice called from her bed. She grinned at me, albeit feebly, and chuckled as I huffed and stormed over, kissing her on the cheek. "Better watch it, Nagi, or I'll steal your girlfriend."

"Like Tadase will ever let that happen," Nagihiko muttered to me. I smirked.

"He thinks he can speak quietly," Nadeshiko muttered to me, "but I hear everything." I grinned.

"And see everything," Azumi snickered.

"That's right," I said, giggling. "I had no idea you wore panties when you crossdressed as Nade, Nagi."

"Panties? What are you—?" He flushed and turned to shoot his sister a bewildered and evil glare. "Nade!"

She smiled and blinked innocently. "What?"

"I couldn't wear boxers!" Nagi told me, looking absolutely embarrassed. "Girls don't wear miniskirts and boxers!"

Rhythm sighed. "Aaaand you just lost your man-card."

"Actually, I think I have a picture of you contemplating a thong that one time we switched places," Nade mused.

Nagi gave her a dirty look. "Well, I have a picture of you stuck trying to get out of the boy's uniform. You managed to get the shorts trapped over your head with one leg and one arm in the blazer sleeves."

Kusukusu giggled. "I wanna see it!"

Nade went pink. "That's not as bad as you wearing panties," She countered.

"It isn't," Rhythm admitted.

"I have a picture of that time you lost a bet with Amu and you had to run around wearing that awful nightie set you got back in California. Actually, I think I showed it to Tadase when you two were dating," Nagi said thoughtfully. "It disappeared after that, but I'm sure I have it somewhere."

"I bet I know where it is," Azumi laughed.

Nade went completely speechless and red-cheeked, so I saved both of them. "So you two are doing better?"

"Much better," Nade nodded. "Of course, I'm not getting a lot of sleep because this one," She motioned to Nagi, "snores like a freight train hit an angry robot dinosaur and the two have an epic fight fight to the death."

"I do not snore!" Nagi protested. "If anything, that's what you sound like when you snore!"

Nadeshiko opened her mouth, then coughed, covering her mouth. She took a deep breath, but seemed to choke, before she doubled over, coughing violently now, shuddering and lifted her head, coughs finally subsiding, staring down at her hands. Blood. Pure, dark blood in a tiny pool in her fingers. Azumi cried out in pain, then began to disappear into her egg.

"Nadeshiko!" I rushed to her side, glancing back at Nagihiko, then froze in shock. A trickle of scarlet dripped down the side of his mouth, matching Nadeshiko's perfectly. Rhythm and Temari gasped and went silent, their shells materializing and closing around them.

There was a moment of horrible, drawn-out silence, and then both grew pale, stark white as the sheets they laid on, and crumpled back onto their sheets, shuddering and twitching as if they were possessed by some evil spirit. I shrieked, stumbling back and yanking the door to the room open, screaming louder than I could remember, "HELP!"

Immediately two nurses, their mother and my parents rushed in, then another nurse, and another, until doctors and nurses surrounded them, talking and shouting words that made no sense to me were thrown around. I stifled a sob as my parents and I were dragged out of the room, leaving my two friends behind.

Without knowing how I got there, I found myself outside the hospital with my two parents pulling me toward the car, Mama stroking my hair and Papa saying soothing words as we sat down together on a bench. I sobbed, curling up into a ball and burying my face in my knees.

"Shh, shh, it's going to be all right, they'll be fine," Papa said gently. "It's all right..."

"I should go get the car," Mama said softly. "Why don't you get her some hot chocolate from the cafeteria?" She directed this to Papa.

He nodded. "Come on, Rima-chan. Let's go inside where it's warm."

"I want to stay out here." I felt tiny, miniscule.

Papa stroked my hair and kissed my cheek. "I'll be right back."

I sat on the bench for what could only have been the span of a minute or two but felt like days, weeks, years, trying to calm myself down. Finally I stood, collecting myself and wiping away the tears on my cheeks. Mama had the car, Papa had hot chocolate, and Nagihiko and Nadeshiko would be all right. I took a deep breath and stood, making my way to where I knew we were parked. The parking lot was not empty, filled with cars. It was dark outside.

Which is how when I rounded the corner, the sudden bright light of car headlights headed straight for me and coming too quick for me to make it out of the way blinded my vision. There was a screech, and loud thump, a searing pain, and the sound of someone screaming.

**"Death for the castle and flowers in bloom..."**

Then everything was gone.

* * *

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	49. STOP SMILING AT ME LIKE THAT!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Nadeshiko**

Late afternoon sunlight burst through the clear windows into our hospital room, throwing everything in its alluring outdoor glow into our room even though the electric lights were off. It was on Valentine's Day that I sat eating my lunch next to Nagihiko, a small lunch of miso broth, plain white rice with a small piece of salmon and pickled vegetables and a tiny cup of chocolate pudding to celebrate the day.

On the day that Rima had visited, I only remember coughing violently, as if I were hacking up a whole lung. It burned my throat and blurred my vision, and when it stopped, it was only a second late that I blacked out. Neither Nagihiko nor I can remember anything after that, just that we woke up the next morning, feeling perfectly fine. Apparently he'd blacked out at around the same time I had, and our guardian characters had gone back into their eggs. Whatever had happened, it had gotten rid of our pneumonia, but the doctors refused to let us go, saying that some strange illness no one could seem to diagnose could have entered our bodies. Nothing had happened since then, but they were keeping us the rest of the month, anyway. It was admittedly a little scary to think of what would've happened if Rima had not been there.

Nagihiko finished the rest of his salmon and reached for his pudding, but my mother, entering the room, snatched it from him, giving him a look. "Don't eat too fast or you'll throw up."

"I'm just hungry, Mother!" He protested. "And the food here is surprisingly delicious..."

"Plus we're helping," Temari admitted, dipping her finger in Nagi's pudding as Rhythm stuffed another grain of white rice in his mouth.

"It is pretty good," I said thoughtfully. "Why don't you let me keep track of that chocolate pudding?"

"Good idea." Mom handed me the pudding. "I have something to discuss with the doctor, I'll be right back." She left.

Nagihiko tried to protest, shooting me a look that said, 'don't-you-dare-steal-my-pudding'. I smiled innocently back at him, and his eyes narrowed. Then he smirked and shrugged like it didn't matter.

I glared at him suspiciously. "Why are you smiling like that?"

He smiled innocently. "What ever do you mean, sister dear?"

"Hmph." I snatched his pudding and stuck my spoon in it. "Mmmm. This is good pudding," I said through a mouthful. "And whatever you're up to, I will find out."

"Wherever you're hiding those embarrassing photos of me, I will find out," He shot back.

I grinned. "I don't mind telling you where they are. I already found the ones of me."

He choked. "You're bluffing. You have to be bluffing."

"She's not," Azumi said, amused.

"I had a little help," I admitted, eating another spoonful. "Actually, Rima helped me find them in exchange that I give yours to her. Actually, she's probably laughing over them right now. Speaking of Rima, how's her mom doing?"

Nagihiko opened and closed his mouth in shock. He stared at me in disbelief, his cheeks bright red, then sighed in frustration and embarrassment and pulled out his phone. "I don't know very much. All I know is that she got hit by a car pushing Rima out of the way and has a broken leg, and that she's on the second floor of this hospital. Other than that, she hasn't told me anything. Oh!" His phone buzzed, and he grinned evilly before typing something in and hiding his phone under his pillow, standing. "I'll be in the bathroom. Outside."

I watched him leave the room, shooting him a dirty look. He was up to something, all right. We had a bathroom in our room, there was no need to go outside. I got out of bed and snatched his phone, typing in his password that he didn't know I knew and checking his messages. My stomach dropped.

_I'm coming to visit! I'll be up in a minute or so. Is it any bother? ~Tadase_

_None at all! Come right up, Nadeshiko's pretty lonely, she'd love it if you visited! ~Nagihiko_

"I'm going to murder my twin," I muttered under my breath. My brother knew very well that I was doing my best to spurn his approaches. Yes, I knew he was trying to get back together with me. And believe me, I would've said yes, but I knew it wasn't worth it to get my hopes up and then do something awful like break his heart. Especially because of that whole 'destiny thing'... there was too big a chance of our relationship ending badly. Who knew what would happen?

Actually, I'd explained this to him before, (well, excluding the part that mentioned that I would've said yes, because that would have just gotten his hopes up) but he seemed firm on 'not letting me get away from him', as he'd proclaimed to me. I'd rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair, trying to silence the miserable voice inside me that reminded me that my heart had always belonged to him anyways. It didn't matter, I wasn't going to take him back if it killed me, and honestly, his efforts were becoming a lot more half-hearted, which kind of hurt for some strange reason.

There was a knock on the door, and I held in a yelp, leaping back to my bed and diving under the covers, trying to decide whether or not I could fool my unwanted visitor by pretending to sleep. Tadase entered, his cheeks flushed from the mild cold. Immediately his eyes locked onto mine, and he gave that super-annoying glittery smile that he of all people knew made my heart race and my cheeks flush. In his hand he carried two balloons and a bouquet of flowers.

"Aw, crap," I mumbled.

"Hello, Nadeshiko," He said brightly, walking over to my bedside. "How are you doing?"

"Did you plan this with Nagihiko?" I demanded.

He looked confused. "Plan what? And where's Nagihiko?"

I fumed for a second. "He's in the bathroom," I said finally. "We're fine."

"Thank goodness." He grinned and pulled up a chair next to my bed, tying the balloons to Nagi's bed and offering me the bouquet of flowers. "Happy Valentine's Day," He said, his tone cheery. "I'm really glad you're okay." His phone buzzed, and he sighed, glancing at it for a moment before shaking his head. "It's good to see you."

"It's really good to see you, too," I lied, picking up my chocolate pudding and not realizing that I was scarfing it down until Tadase chuckled and took it away from me, brushing his fingers against mine for a moment too long. "Hey!" I protested.

"You're eating too fast," He said lightly. "I don't want you to throw up. Also, you do realize that I know when you try to lie to me?"

"I don't lie to you," I insisted. "I would never—oh, don't look at me like that!" I snapped as he held in smiled. "Why are you here, anyways? You visited just, like, two days ago."

"You know why," He said softly. "Don't you already know what I'm here to ask?"

I looked away. "Yeah." My voice cracked. "But the answer's still no."

He sat on the side of my bed, moving close and tilting my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eye. His face was an inch away, eyes determined. "Then I'll just have to make you change your mind."

I tried to suck air into my lungs, but I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, let alone say something, try to push him away, because there was no way I should be letting him do this, I should just turn away, or shove his chest, or maybe scream for the nurse, and not let him do what I knew he was about to do, and why was I letting him—?

His lips brushed over mine, along with the faint scent of fresh apples, when his phone rang at the exact same time my mother walked back into the room, followed by an exasperated Nagihiko.

"Oh." She stopped.

Nagihiko sighed. "And that's why I was trying to stop you from coming back into the room."

Tadase, pink in the face, cleared his throat awkwardly and moved away from me. My lips tingled where he had touched them, and I cursed myself, feeling heat flood into my cheeks. "Hello, Fujisaki-san. Hello, Nagi. I came to visit."

"Yes. You texted me." Nagi seemed slightly amused. I shot him my best 'I'll-kill-you-later' stare, and he grinned evilly.

"Well." My mother was holding in a grin. "I should be going now. Come along, Nagihiko." I stared at her incredulously, and she sent me the same innocent smile that Nagihiko and I always gave to each other: _'What?'_

"So, how was school today, Tadase?" I asked him pointedly. "Do you have a lot of homework?"

"Oh. Right." He deflated. "I do... I should probably go do it..."

"That's too bad," I lied, barely containing my relief. He hid a smile, and I glared at him. "Stop looking at me like that!"

His eyes sparkled. "Do you remember when you and Nagi crossdressed?"

"Yeah..." I said uncertainly.

"Do you remember what I said to you when you ran into me?"

"That you know me too well," I said immediately, the quieted as I stared at him. "And that you could tell who I was because of the look in my eyes," I whispered.

"Exactly." He paused for a second, slightly unsure, and then leaned down suddenly, kissing me just a barest millimeter from my mouth before I could stop him. "Goodbye, Nadeshiko," He said in my ear, and then left.

I stared after him, lifting a hand and touching my cheek. "Well, shit," I said to myself. Because really, how much longer was I going to be able to keep this up?

* * *

_It was late afternoon by the time that Utau met up with Kukai at the Nagai Botanical Garden where the two had planned on spending the evening for a concert. Utau had promised to meet up with a large number of her idol friends afterwards, no guys invited, and so the two had decided to go to the concert together and then split up afterwards._

_It was tense between the two; they'd just finished arguing about another minor thing. Lately, Utau noticed, they'd been arguing often. After being together for years, they'd been through a lot together, and Utau didn't have a lot of people she was willing to really confide in, but it seemed that she was starting to lose the first person she had really trusted. The thought was daunting, but she ignored it, hoping it was nothing more than a short spat._

_Then again, she still had yet to confess the big news to him..._

"_Kukai?" She asked, a little uncertainly._

"_Yeah?" He looked at her sideways and smiled easily. "What's up?"_

_She looked away. "What would you say if I left?"_

"_Left?" He sounded confused. "To go where?"_

_They reached the gardens. After handing them their tickets, the two entered. The strong, sweet scent of ume blossoms wafted gently through the air, beautiful white blossoms tinged with the barest hint of pink that radiated from a violet-red center. Sasanqua with their oval-shaped serrated green leaves and their lovely, rich pink petals lined the walkways along with Christmas roses and evergreen bushes, the sprouts of early spring still hidden within the ground. Along the wall, a temporary barrier with the pop star group and an opening trio blasted across it helped to trumpet the excited, crowded atmosphere._

_Utau took Kukai's hand and, when no one was looking, slipped behind the stage, pulling out a backstage pass and showing it to the security guards, who nodded and let them through to the back of the stage._

_Backstage of the concert, harried people with microphones, people seated behind important-looking computers, a long table filled to the brim with food and lots of noise all added up to the chaos of backstage._

"_Hey!" A short, bouncy girl strode forward, barely clearing Utau's shoulder. She must have been around, maybe younger than twenty. Her short black hair was straw-straight and smooth as a feather, a large clip with flowers and feathers holding it back from her forehead. "Utau, you made it!"_

"_Hey, Momo-chan," Utau grinned._

_Momo-chan smiled at her friend, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I haven't seen you in a long time." Her eyes sparkled, and confidence radiated from her. "And who is this?"_

"_This is Kukai, my boyfriend," Utau told her. "Kukai, this is Momoko Tsugunaga, leader of Buono!."_

"_Nice to meet you!" Momoko held out her hand. Kukai took it, smiling._

"_Nervous?" Utau asked, crossing her arms and chuckling. Momoko smiled in embarrassment._

"_My voice is getting higher, isn't it?" She cleared her throat, wincing slightly. "Ah, Airi and Miyabi are still prepping. They should—"_

"_Momo!" Two voices sang, and two other girls appeared beside their friend. Both happened to be quite a bit taller than Momo-chan, yet neither were quite as tall as Utau or Kukai. One had dyed hair in a ginger shade, "Momo, we were looking for you!"_

"_Utau! You're here!" The girl with the dyed hair gave her friend a slight squeeze and smiled. "You're here!"_

"_Hey!" The tallest of a three winked cheekily at Utau, dancing around in excitement. "You look great as always, Utau!"_

_It didn't really matter that he was practically a foot taller than all three members of Buono!, he was still a bit intimidated. The aura coming from all four girls present was a bit overwhelming._

"_And this must be Kukai!" shook his hand shyly. "I'm Miyabi Natsuyaki."_

_The tallest girl waltzed forward, giggling slightly. "I'm Airi Suzuki. Nice to meet you! Actually..." She glanced around her, frowning slightly. "The others should be here somewhere..."_

"_Oh, I completely forgot!" Utau slapped her head. "You guys are opening for Morning Musume, right?"_

"_Yep!" Airi nodded brightly. "Although how we managed to lose all ten of them, I have no idea..."_

"_Airi-san!" A much shorter girl, around Amu's age, appeared out of nowhere, looking a bit tense and worried. "The concert starts in half an hour!"_

"_We'll be there. Riho-chan, it's Utau," Airi said, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders to steady the delicate girl._

"_This is Riho Sayashi," Utau introduced her boyfriend and the seventeen-year-old girl to each other._

"_Riho!" Two voices called, and two other girls around the same height came towards them._

"_Riho, come and look, we found the most gorgeous spot of plum blossoms, and there's no one there, if we can hurry we can see it before the concert—"_

"_Riho, please help me convince her not to go, we could at least wait till after the concert—"_

"—_it smells absolutely gorgeous, you have to see this, I think I saw a pond, too—"_

"—_I swear, I've never seen her like this before, she's usually so levelheaded—"_

"_Eri, Kanon, calm down," Riho said calmly. "Eri, we can wait to see the plum blossoms until after the concert, then we can see them with everyone."_

"_I suppose," The girl called Eri shrugged. "Oh! Airi-san, Miyabi-san, Momoko-san! The concert—"_

"_Starts in half an hour, we know," Momoko said reassuringly. "Calm down, you three."_

"_This is Erina Ikuta," Utau said, gesturing to the plum blossom-obsessedgirl, "And the other one is Kanon Suzuki."_

"_Why don't you go find our seats?" Utau told Kukai. "I think it's going to be a while."_

"_Fine with me," Kukai said easily, and kissed her on the cheek, before walking away._

_Utau looked after him, her face growing sad. She hadn't told him the real reason she had come to the concert. Of course, she would still be going out with her idol friends. But she was to appear on stage as a surprise to the fans in the final performance of Morning Musume. She was also supposed to announce her big summer tour to Europe. She'd be leaving sometime in late spring, accompanied by Ikuto, who would be her lead violinist, and wouldn't be back until early September._

"_We have to go," Miyabi told Utau. "But, we'll see you later, 'kay?"_

_Utau inspected her friends. Airi and Momoko were both attempting to keep the suddenly frantic Morning Musume girls under control. The entire backstage was in organized chaos, the other Musume girls had appeared and were running around along with Erina, Kanon and Riho in their nervous worry that they wouldn't do well in their performance._

_She smiled, shaking her head. "You guys will be great."_

* * *

_Amu sat in her room, curling her hair with her curling iron and rechecking her makeup. Around this time last month, Ikuto had left again to visit America with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and wouldn't be back till late in the spring. As he'd been gone, he'd grown more and more distant from her, forgetting their weekly video chats till it was a week missed, then two, and then three... it would be the second time she'd see him, if he answered. Today, she was determined to fix that._

"_Hello?" Amu picked up her phone._

_It was Tadase. "Hello, Amu. Did you know you've called me five times in the past half an hour?"_

"_I'm sorry," She said, agitated and not at all sorry. "But how did it go? Are you back together yet?"_

"_Not yet." Tadase's voice was slightly sad but still a bit hopeful. "She almost let me kiss her this time."_

"_That's good!" Amu said excitedly, way more excited than Tadase himself. "You'll be back together in no time!"_

"_Well... I don't know... I'm just wondering..."_

"_What?" Amu felt her stomach drop. "Oh, Tadase, don't give up, okay?" Amu bit her lip hard. "Please, don't give up... please, you can't."_

"_I just don't know if she really would take me back," He said quietly. "I should go. I'll talk to you later, Amu."_

_She closed her eyes as he hung up, snapping her phone shut and covering her mouth. In the past few weeks, Tadase had started to give up on Nadeshiko, Rima had almost been hit by a car, Yaya and Kairi were arguing more than ever over silly things, Kukai and Utau had gotten into a spat over her upcoming summer tour to Europe, and Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were in the hospital._

_How long did she have? She wondered to herself, trying to clear her head. How long did she have before her friends died? How long would it be before the light died from Rima's eyes, till Nagihiko and Nadeshiko took their last breaths? How long till Kairi and Kukai shattered their eggs, till Utau gave up her dreams and Yaya lost her spirit? Till Ikuto left her?_

_She couldn't let it happen. But at that moment, it felt as if she were completely useless._

"_Amu." Ran floated up to her, her eyes filled with pity. "Amu, everything will be all right."_

"_No, it won't," Amu said, covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes. "I'm not doing anything, but I can't figure out how to fix it... God, I can't..."_

"_It'll be all right." Miki said comfortingly. "I know it. I can feel it."_

"_They're going to die because of me," Amu exploded. "They're going to tear themselves apart, and it will all be my fault... All my fault..."_

"_We'll figure this out," Dia told her. "We'll find a way to fix this. But, Amu..." Dia's eyes were sad. "Don't you think you should tell them?"_

"_I can't," She moaned. "How much worse would it be if I told them that I ensured the Curse? They'd freak out... counting the days, every last second until everything falls apart... I can't put them through that..."_

"_I will make you cocoa~desu," Su said easily, taking Amu by the finger and leading her from her room, down the stairs into the kitchen. "There we go..." Floating along behind them were her other guardian characters, all struggling to carry Amu's new laptop and settling it with an 'oof!' on the kitchen table as Su hummed a tune, readying the ingredients._

"_Your video chat with Ikuto is in a few minutes," Ran said encouragingly, trying to distract her bearer._

"_Mmhm." Amu fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a compact mirror and wiped at her ruined makeup, managing to fix it. Su brought the four cocoa with another cup for herself, and they sat waiting._

_And waiting._

_And waiting._

_Two hours later, Amu sat in her chair, tears streaming down her cheeks, salty tracks already died to her face. Her eyes were puffy, fists were clenched. It was a good thing she was alone in the house._

"_He'll answer," Ran insisted, but it was clear that none of them had any hope._

_Amu let out a shuddering breath. She wiped at her face and stood, closing the screen and picking up her laptop, turning away and climbing the stairs. Her footsteps thudded on the steps, echoing through the silence._

_Her heart throbbed in pain, but she ignored it, feeling empty. She had made her decision: she was done. What did it matter? If she really could save her friends, it only meant that everything would still be fake. Her relationship with Ikuto would still be based on a lie. And so would everyone else's. There would be nothing real._

_Oh, she would save her friends. She could not do anything else. Amu would become the Lock Guardian once more, because she knew that was where she belonged. But she would not accept the lies that came with her Lock-altered destiny, for that was all they were: lies._

_Suddenly her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it. Ikuto was calling. Her eyes narrowed, and she hit ignore. A half an hour passed, a continuous cycle of Ikuto calling and calling her, and Amu pressing the ignore button over and over. Finally, out of pure frustration, Amu flipped open her phone and answered._

"_What?!" She snapped._

_There was a stunned silence, then Ikuto answered, "... Amu? Look, baby, I'm sorry I missed the video message." He truly did sound regretful, but Amu had always known he was a good actor. He would have to be, wouldn't he, if he could fool Tadase into thinking he didn't care about him, if he could fool Easter into thinking he was an easy pawn to control. "I got back late from the concert, and there was loads of traffic... can you forgive me?"_

_Amu said nothing. There was a long pause. All her boiling anger died. "I forgive you," She said finally._

"_Thank goodness!" Immense relief was evident in his tone. "... Look, Amu, I have something I need to tell you."_

_Amu covered her mouth, holding back a sob. She managed, "I have something to tell you, too. But you should go first."_

"_All right." He seemed genuinelyhappy, but there was sadness in his tone. "I promised you I would be back in the spring, right? Well..." He swallowed. "I will be back, I promise. But I'll only be able to stay about a week, because... I'm joining Utau on her summer and fall tour to Europe."_

"_All right." Amu said, surprisingly calmly. "That's fine with me."_

"_Really?" Ikuto laughed brightly. "And I promise, it will be the best week of your life. See, I was thinking, we could go to that art museum you've been dying to go to, and I hear there's this movie coming out that I know you would love, and then we could—"_

"_Ikuto." Amu bit her lip, now holding back tears. "Ikuto, please listen."_

"—_and then you know that band you love so much? What's it called? Berryz? Well, I can get tickets, we can go, and it's during that week—"_

"_Ikuto!" Amu shouted. He stopped. "Ikuto, I can't. I just can't."_

"_... What do you mean?" He sounded confused. "Amu, is there something wrong?"_

"_I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't."_

"_... Amu?"_

"_We're done." Her voice rang out through the quiet. Amu closed her eyes. "Goodbye, Ikuto."_

**The ties between cut and bonds to be lost...**

_She hung up._

* * *

I stared out of the window, the evening light fading. Normally I would be bored out of mind, but tonight I had too much on my mind. I lay on my side, staring at the twilight scene before me, pretending to have fallen asleep. Even if I couldn't fool Tadase, my twin had too much on his mind as well to realize I wasn't asleep; and, blood-related or not, neither of my parents could tell I was awake.

"Your father and I are going to get dinner," I heard my mother say. The click of shoes receded, the door closed, and I was left alone with my brother.

Nagihiko sighed and closed his book. For a moment, I tensed, believing he would speak, but he only shifted. I listened for a moment, and realized he was texting. I held in a sigh of relief, and closed my eyes, if only for a moment.

"... But you should."

Suddenly I found myself standing in the hospital room between my bed and the window, still wearing my god-awful hospital gown, parents still out of the room, but this time Rima and Nagihiko were present.

"How did I stand up in my sleep?" I wondered aloud. They paid me no attention, and I frowned, moving around the bed and waving a hand expectantly. "Hello?"

Nothing. I pursed my lips, thinking, then poked Nagi's cheek. My finger went right through him. Unsurprised, I turned back to my bed, and saw myself asleep on the bed, back rising softly. "I'm dreaming."

I thought for a moment, then said aloud, "And then the floor became lava," Leaping gingerly onto the bed. Immediately the floor sizzled and melted, turning a rich orange-gold-and-red shade, moving sluggishly. Rima and Nagihiko took no notice. Thick heat slapped me in the face, and I smiled. "And then the lava disappeared."

The molten rock drained away, and I got off the bed, sighing. "Huh."

"... I seriously don't get why it's still considered a holiday," Rima argued, and I plopped down on Nagihiko's bed, listening with interest. "Valentine's day is stupid. It's just a holiday the media made up so that businesses and people could fool you into buying stuff. There's absolutely nothing romantic about that."

"What about the legend of St. Valentine?"

Rima waved her hand dismissively. "Just a legend. Valentine's Day isn't romantic all. It's just being extra materialistic for one day during the year. People expect to get chocolates and flowers and all of that crap. Which makes White Day just as silly and nothing more than a day for people to get their hopes up that they'll get a response."

Nagihiko was silent for a moment, then stood and took the chocolate pudding that had been lying out since lunch.

"Hey!" I protested. "That's mine! I was going to finish that!"

He paid no attention to me, and went back to his bed, sitting down beside Rima. He scooped up a spoonful and coaxed it gently into her mouth before she knew what she was doing. Rima stared at my twin as if he were crazy.

"The heck?" She managed.

"I gave you chocolate," He said calmly, smiling at her. She glared at him, and his face molded into his best sparkle-attack. Rima flushed, then went bright pink, and then tomato red as he leaned in close and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

My heart twinged in my chest, and suddenly I saw myself earlier today, Tadase pressing his almost-kiss to my lips, except this time there was no interruption, and this time I kissed him back—

I shook myself and turned away. "And then Nadeshiko could control the air again and flew away," I said, my voice cracking.

The window blew open, and at this Rima and Nagihiko started, but I was already out the window as they hurried to close it.

The air was a blast of cold, stinging my cheeks and battering my skin, but to me it felt amazing. I shot upwards, smiling sadly as the city grew smaller and smaller beneath me, a sprawling mass lights in the darkening sunset. I hadn't told anyone this, because I'd kept it well hidden even from Nagi and Tadase, but the fact that I no longer appeared to be an elemental stung. I'd always had the luxury of a cool breeze at my touch, the power of the wind in my fingers. And then suddenly, to have it disappear out of nowhere, leaving me with no idea how to get it back... it scared me. I wasn't sure what it meant, if it was bad or good to have lost my abilities, but honestly, it was hard without it.

"Take me... wherever I need to go."

I soared across the skies, noting that my skin was a bit translucent, and took a deep breath, closing my eyes and zooming upwards, then letting myself rest as the wind carried me away to who-knows-where.

I descended downwards through the city, past tall skyscrapers and the huge evening rush of people, unseen. I slowed to a stop, touching the ground, standing on the concrete in the rush down to the underground. People literally walked through me, and I found myself glad that I was only dreaming. I think.

With that thought in mind, I hurried up the steps in front of me along with the crowd, towards the open train doors. A girl moved through me, and I jumped in surprise, seeing Yaya moving along with the crowd. Sure that for some reason this is what my mind wanted me to see, I followed after her easily, and we were shoved into the nearest car.

Yaya had a hurt and angry look on her face, holding her phone in her grip and texting furiously. I peered over her shoulder.

_If you want to talk to me, at least have the courage to talk to me in person. ~Yaya_

_That would be impossible. Wouldn't you be riding the train home by now? ~Kairi_

_It doesn't matter. Just stop texting me. Besides, weren't you the one who wanted to "take a break"? ~Yaya_

_Why did you add quotation marks? I just thought we should space ourselves from each other for a while. ~Kairi_

_I'm going through a tunnel. I'll have to text you back later. ~Yaya_

_No, you aren't. Don't ignore me. ~Kairi_

_Yaya? Are you going to answer me? ~Kairi_

_Why are you being so immature? Answer me. ~Kairi_

_Fine. Don't answer me. But this is not over. I'm coming over to your house. ~Kairi_

_No, you're not. You're not allowed to come to my house. I want space. ~Yaya_

_I thought you said you didn't want space! ~Kairi_

_From the way you've been acting, I think it's best we do. ~Yaya_

_You're being silly. ~Kairi_

Yaya shut off her phone and shoved it in her bag, glowering. It was clear that my time here was over.

"What else am I supposed to see?" I said aloud, my voice echoing throughout the train, unheard.

Nothing.

I sighed and closed my eyes. A rush of air swirled around me, and I opened my eyes and started slightly in surprise, finding myself hurtling straight-on towards a balcony I distantly recalled to be Amu's, before I passed through the barrier to find Amu, dressed in a beautiful new shirt, cleaning off what looked like the work of an hour of perfecting her makeup and hair. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy, and her eyes were sad and empty, as if she'd lost something. Her guardian characters comforted her, speaking softly. Still, she sat straight and tall, even if she did seem pained.

"Oh, Amu..." I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulder, but of course she could neither see nor hear me. I sighed and looked down at her phone, glancing at her before picking it up. None of them noticed as I flipped it open and searched through her messages, finding she had about twenty missed calls from Ikuto and fifteen messages, all demanding that she at least explain why she broke up with him. From what I could see, she hadn't answered any of her messages.

"Oh, what happened?" I said sadly. I had always thought of Amu and Ikuto as a happy couple. But now...

A horrible thought occurred to me. If the two were not meant to be together... if this was one of the things that the Lock and Key had altered in our destinies... that meant that our destinies were reverting back to whatever they were supposed to be.

I smiled bitterly. I couldn't decide anymore whether or not I would rather have a destiny where everything would be a lie or whether I'd rather lose everything that had made me happy for the truth. It wasn't a happy thought. I'd always thought that living a lie would be harder than living with the truth, but now... I couldn't decide which would be more painful.

I startled as I felt a ghost touch, a hand shaking me. "Nadeshiko, wake up," A distant voice called, echoing, and then everything faded away into blackness. "Wake up..."

I opened my eyes, sitting up. Rima was gone, and Nagihiko was standing at my shoulder. "Mom says we're allowed to have dinner in the cafeteria."

I stared up at him. I could almost hear the sound of crying in the distance.

"I'm fine."

* * *

_A tall man stood at the entrance to the hospital, staring up at one particular window that housed an eighteen-year-old girl's mother. The shutters were closed, by light still poked its way from . Dressed all in black, he blended in with the shadows of the night. His eyes, filled with anger and vengeance, seemed to glow within the darkness. Then the light flickered off. His phone buzzed silently, and he picked it up._

"_She'll be leaving any minute." He paused, then smiled, the bright light of insanity flashing across his vision. "I can't attack her now. She's too protected here. But she's going on a school trip..." He chuckled. "I can wait a few months... It was too early to kill her anyways."_

_There was silence as he listened, and grinned, revealing long, pointed teeth that looked as if they had been sharpened."Oh? Tell me what I have to lose."_

_The sound of hospital doors slid open automatically, and a tiny blonde girl made her way with a taller man—her father—ouside the hospital doors, towards one of the last few cars in the visitor's lot. They did not notice the man that hid in the shadows._

_The man snapped his phone shut and watched the girl leave. "You're mine now," He whispered, before disappearing into the darkness._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	50. Everyone Meets Their Horrible Fates!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here!**

**I don not own Shugo Chara! or Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Kairi**

It was a beautiful spring day; the sun shook its mane of light, throwing down delicious gentle heat that mixed perfectly with a soft breeze that rose over the trees. The thin, airy scent of cherry blossoms rose and danced along with the loose petals of the sakura, old music rising from somewhere in the distance and intermingling with the glorious sight in front of us. I had never seen such beauty, standing atop a viewing point in the Kami Senbon, staring down in awe at the beauty of Yoshinoyama.

As a small portion of Seiyo Academy's top twenty-five senior high students, we had been awarded for our year with a week-long trip to Yoshinoyama during cherry-blossom season. I'd been on this annual celebratory trip, and it truly was a reward—cherry blossom season was always expensive, and it had always been fairly crowded, but the sights were amazing and the history was rich.

So, all twenty-five of the top students from all three grades of the high school section of Seiyo stood together, waiting in front of the hotel, gawking at this wonder before our eyes. It had already been two days since we had first arrived, and we had just finished visiting Mt. Yoshinoyama and were going to split up into our respective classes.

"Star Class, to me!" Nikaidou-sensei called, raising a hand. Ten third years, including Amu, Nagihiko and Nadeshiko, Rima and Tadase, as well as five other students, flocked towards him. As third-years, they would be continuing to tour Mt. Yoshinoyama and hiking around to reach a natural spring spot and go swimming. The Moon Class, which was made up of eight of us including Yaya and I, were to visit Kinpusenji Temple, and the seven first-years were to visit the Yoshimizu Shrine.

"Keep together!" Nikaidou called, and with that the largest portion of people filed away, down a different well-worn path for the scenic route that wound around to the top of the mountain.

"Moon Class!" Our homeroom teacher said over the commotion, and I squeezed my way through to where she stood. Already there were several of my friends and Yaya.

Our eyes met, and Yaya looked away with a hard look on her face I'd never seen before. Then again, Yaya had never been a very harsh person. Way back in February, on Valentine's Day, I'd told Yaya I wanted space. She took that to mean I was breaking up with her, and had avoided me since, managing to be somewhere else and out of sight even though we were in the same class and shared a few subjects, most of which we sat together. I'd regretted my choice, but I was determined not to apologize; after all, I'd never meant to break up with her in the first place. It admittedly wasn't the most gentlemanly thing to do, but then, I shouldn't be expected to be the one to apologize every time even when it wasn't entirely my fault.

We weren't the only ones who were unhappy in the relationship department. On the same day Yaya and I had broken up, Utau and Kukai had attended a Morning Musume concert with the intention of splitting up aftwards so Utau could be with her famous friends. Kukai had apparently gotten a surprise when Utau co-starred on stage with her friends, a surprise that turned nasty when she announced her summer tour, and they'd broken up. Ikuto had also forgotten his video-chat date with Amu for what I knew was around the sixth time, and she'd ended their relationship when he called to apologize again. From the way Amu had kept her phone off the entire trip, an unusually irrational and irresponsible choice, she was most likely receiving constant messages from her ex-boyfriend that she refused to answer. And Nadeshiko, who was obviously starting to break under Tadase's attempts to get back together with her, was still managing to hold on. Tadase had confided to me that he wasn't sure she was going to break, which I took to mean he was thinking of giving up soon. In any case, none of my closest friends' love lives were all that successful at the current moment.

"Follow me please! Stay together," Sensei called, waving us along, the seven first-years following after us. We set off down the mountain, towards the buses that would take us the short distance to the Temple, which I had read about. I hoped the allure of this temple would be enough to suffice for a distraction, seeing as Yaya, having no other place to sit (because for some reason none of the first or second years wanted to share a seat) was forced to sit in the seat next to mine, sliding as far away as she could from me, and it was going to be very hard to resist the sudden uncontrollable urge to move next to her and put my arm around her shoulder.

Needless to say, even watching the scenery fly by, the traffic was surprisingly clear, and the distance to the temple wasn't actually very long, it felt as if it took several long, drawn-out hours riding near her. From the way she clenched her fists and the fact that her jaw remained tighter than a vise the entire trip, I believed she felt the same way. After stewing over this for another agonizing "hours", a stop for the first-years, and way too many times of catching myself staring at her, I made a choice. I decided to say nothing. It wasn't my fault, after all. It wasn't as if I wanted to talk to her, anyways. I forced myself to stop watching her out of the corner of my eye and glared at the passing scene.

Finally the bus came to a full stop, and the small contents of the bus rose as one and began to file out of the bus. We would be hiking up to the Temple, which was settled in an area unsuitable for motorized vehicles.

I stepped out of the bus, staring up at the Temple. It was quiet here, even though this was an important tourist spot, a peaceful sanctuary from the rush of the world. It was very beautiful, but I felt no peace myself.

I found myself glancing in Yaya's direction, and noticed that she was staring back. She looked away hurriedly, her cheeks turning pink, and she hurried up the steps. I stared after her, trying to comprehend this sudden surge of emotion in my chest. Hope? Love?

No.

It was anger.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I was. This was the girl I have fallen in love with? Someone who couldn't decide whether or not she loved me back? Who wasn't sure whether or not she was willing to try and make our relationship work? I didn't even know if she honestly loved me, or if her feelings—if she'd had any for me at all—were real, or if I'd only been temporary.

She was dangerous. She was a thrill, she was flighty, but she wasn't the person I'd imagined falling in love with at all. And I couldn't rely on her. I'd never been able to.

She was like a fire: temperamental, burning too hot. And I was going to get burned.

The thought seemed to pull and tug at me, pushing at me from all sides, and I stopped, drinking in the silence and wallowing in my fury, just steps from reaching the inside of the Temple.

"Kairi?"

I whirled around and snapped, "What?"

Yaya stepped back in surprise. "U-Um... I wanted to talk to you," She mumbled, looking at her toes.

I stared at her for a second, then sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Yes?"

She was quiet for a moment, then: "I'm sorry."

Yaya's gaze met mine, hopeful and determined, but I also saw expectance. As if she knew that I would always be there for her to fall back on, that it didn't matter what she did, because she could always come back, and she knew that I'd let her.

My eyes hardened. "Are you?"

She frowned. "Of course."

"Really?" I crossed my arms. "Or do you just have no other options?"

"I don't understand." Yaya took a step back, confused and hurt. "What are you talking about?"

"Or perhaps you simply just feel that you can just come crying back to me," I glared at her.

"Why are you being so mean?" Her hands were clenched into shaking fists. "I just wanted to apologize."

"But you also wanted to get back together." She bit her lip, and I laughed without humor. "Of course you did."

"Well, now, I'm not so sure," Yaya shot back. "If that's what you're going to treat me like!"

"It's perfectly all right with me if we don't." I rolled my eyes at her. "It's not like we wouldn't have actually ended for good. Eventually."

"Eventually?!"

"Yes, eventually," I snarled. "Because you can't decide on anything, so why bother risking getting my heart broken—again—just because you can't decide?"

She glared at me. "You told me you were always willing to try," She said accusingly, like she'd entrusted me with a toy and then I'd lost it. "Always."

"Yes, well, that was then, and this is now," I said savagely. "I'm tired of waiting for you to decide. First we're nothing more than friends, then you take forever trying to decide whether you want to be with me, then we break up, and then get back together, and here we are, broken up again."

"What do you want from me?!" She said angrily, stomping her foot like a child as tears began to well in her eyes. I shoved down the urge to comfort her. She needed to mature a little.

"I'm telling you that you need to grow up," I said in forced calm, "And choose. Either you're with me, or you aren't."

Silence.

"Well?" I demanded.

She said something quietly.

"What? Speak up," I said, irritated.

"I said, you aren't." She looked up at me, and I could finally see the tears pouring down her cheeks. Her brown eyes were red and filled with hurt and betrayal and pain. "I thought you were my Prince Charming. My knight-in-shining-armor. You were the person who I was supposed to be able to trust, who would always be there for me no matter what."

Her words hit me in the chest as if she'd literally punched me. "What?"

"You were supposed to be my friend. Always." Her voice cracked. _"You lied to me!" _She turned away on the last word and sprinted off, into the forest.

Pepe stayed behind for a second. She glared at me with hateful eyes, and spoke what I would always remember to be the most sophisticated and cruelest thing I had ever known to be uttered from her mouth.

"You may think you are righteous, Samurai, you may think that the words you speak are wise, but it is _you_ who are foolish."

I started and chased after her, but she was running faster than I'd ever seen her run, so quick and so distant, that I knew I'd never catch her, into the nearby forest. It didn't matter. I ran after her anyways. "Don't run away!" I yelled, storming after her, guilt pounding in my ears. "Please don't run away from me! _YAYA!"_

"Kairi!" Musashi flew after me. "Kairi, wait!"

I slowed to a stop and fell to my knees, putting my face in my hands. She was right. I'd promised I'd always be there for her. What did it matter whether or not she was indecisive? So what if we weren't dating? I'd been selfish enough to assume that just because she wasn't perfect that she wasn't worth my time. I would leave her behind, destroyed any faith she had in me for my own foolish reasons.

"It's all my fault," I whispered, putting my head into my hands. "It's all my fault."

A samurai was supposed to protect people in need, no matter what. They must be fair, accepting, honest, true. And I was none of that. I could never be a true samurai. Pepe was right.

"... Kairi?"

"I will never be a true Samurai," I said to myself. "I will never achieve my dreams."

I looked up at Musashi with dead eyes, uncomprehending, before truly seeing what was going on.

My guardian character was trembling in fear as slowly, his shell solidified into existence and closed in around him. "... Kairi..."

"Musashi?" I said in shock, getting slowly to my feet.

"Kairi...! _Kairi, help me!"_ Musashi shouted out in pain, struggling and crying out horribly. "Help—" The shell closed, and an X appeared over the shell for the fraction of a second. I could hear him yelling, shouting at me to help him, before it shattered into a thousand pieces, the sound of my guardian character screaming cut off abruptly.

My vision went dark.

"_**Pieces to the whole, torn quite apart..."**_

* * *

_Yaya sprinted deeper and deeper into the clutches of the forest, her sobs ringing through the silence. It seemed that she could not run fast enough to escape from him, to escape from everything, because the demons that followed her nipped at her heels, giving her no escape, laughing mercilessly at her as she fled, until the canopy of trees of above her cast dark shadows and light barely filtered through the sudden night._

_She came to a stop here, utterly and completely lost, and yet she no longer cared. Her shoulders shook, trembling in her pain at betrayal, that the one person who she had trusted more than anything had let her down._

"_You lied to me," Yaya whispered, her voice cracking. "YOU LIED TO ME!"_

_In fury, she slammed her fist into a tree, crushing both her thin skin and the bark of the tree with surprising force, and with a nasty cracking noise, her fingers began to bleed. Pepe cried out behind her. She slid against the tree, falling to the ground and curling up into a little ball._

"_I'm tired of being hurt," She said angrily, wiping at her tearstreaked face. "I don't want this, I'm sick of never being sure, I'm sick of letting myself believe and always being let down..."_

"_A baby is strong," Pepe reminded her._

_Yaya leapt to her feet, her eyes ablaze. "I don't want to be a baby anymore!" She shouted._

_Stunned silence._

_She went on. "I'm sick of people treating me like I don't matter, like I can't actually be relied on!"_

"_But that's what a baby is!" Pepe protested. "Babies can't be depended on!"_

"_Then I'm not a baby!" Yaya yelled. "I'm not useless, I'm not stupid, and I can handle making decisions!"_

"_Yaya..." Pepe mumbled. "Just because you don't want to grow up doesn't mean others should treat you without respect... Even babies deserve—" She froze._

"_Pepe?"_

_Pepe only stared at her with wide, terrified eyes, before she gasped out in pain, and her shell materialized around her. Yaya gasped and reached out to her guardian character, but it was too late. An X appeared on her shell._

_Yaya's eyes went dull, and she collapsed in a heap on the ground._

* * *

**Rima**

It seemed that we had entered another world, the nine other third-years and I, staring up at the cherry blossoms that blanketed us from the blue sky overhead. On one side, beautiful azalea bushes scattered amongst the trees. Above, millions upon millions of petals danced through the air, from the Shimo Senbon that had already been in high bloom. The scent of fresh air was intoxicating, and the quiet was delicious.

"The first and second-years should be here in about ten minutes, so make room," Nikaidou called. The quiet chatter rose in volume, more excited now—the natural spring was rumored to have magical healing properties. I'd never been a strong believer in magic, but after the encounter with the supernatural world, I'd kind of found it a lot harder to be fazed by any magical accusations and a lot easier to see through farces. For some reason, this place felt a lot more mystical than I'd originally thought.

In any case, it was a lot harder to focus on many things, seeing as my half-naked boyfriend sat next to me, glittering droplets of water an sweat covering his skin, and an intensely distracting set of lean muscles. Which meant that a mixture of both the natural spring's steam and my disturbingly sexy boyfriend forced me to focus almost entirely on my breathing.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," Nagihiko commented, leaning forward, and watching me with a mixture of calm and concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No," I muttered, avoiding his gaze and turning away.

He sighed. "Rima, don't fight with me." He placed a hand around my shoulder and steered me to face him. I felt my face flush even deeper and began to grumble and shift.

Nagi grinned and drew me closer, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm... Am I making you nervous?"

"NO."

"Yes," Kusukusu said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, really?" He smirked and raised an eyebrow, tightening his grip on my waist. I hunched and shot him my dirtiest look. "Are you sure, Rima-koi?"

"Stop being a pervert," Temari grumbled.

"No, I'm just... enjoying the quiet," I lied firmly.

"No, you aren't. I make you nervous."

"Shut it, Nagi," I warned.

"I think I'm going to move over by Nade," Tadase mumbled uncomfortably, and slid into the water, slipping up next to Nadeshiko, who went pink.

"It's awkward by you two," Kiseki informed us. "Even for a king."

"Those two are hopeless," I said, half-commenting on the obvious and half-trying to turn the conversation in a different direction.

"I wouldn't say hopeless," Nagi said thoughtfully. "They're both just being a bit silly. And besides, he's almost got through to her. Just a little prodding, and she'll be his."

"Well, not like she ever stopped, but still..." Rhythm mused.

"I think they're both being flat-out stupid and BOTH OF THEM SHOULD JUST MAKE UP," I said loudly, glaring pointedly at the two. Nade went red and Tadase nodded fervently, then realized what exactly he was doing and slid deeper down into the water.

"Maybe not quite the push Nagi meant," Azumi muttered, "But yeah, a push."

Amu got out of the water, barefoot and dripping water, and moved out to the balcony as if in a trance. The past few months she'd been in a strange state, desperate and clingly and strangely depressed. She'd declined into silence and now rarely said a thing. Of course, like a good friend I'd been completely suspicious, and most of us had taken to following her around and stalking her on a daily basis, but apparently she'd she taken a leaf out of Principal Tsukasa's mysterious book, because none of us could find out a single thing, even after interrogating her guardian characters (long story).

The doors opened, and with it came the rest of our school, which meant that the baths were now a lot more crowded. "Why don't we go over to the other area?" Nagi motioned for us to move over to a much more secluded bathing spot.

"You guys go on ahead. I don't feel like swimming anymore." Nade stood up and pulled her towel around her, moving to go change. Tadase hesitated for a moment, then stood and followed her.

"They really are hopeless," I said, shaking my head.

* * *

_Nadeshiko dried her hair, glad for the feel of her dry clothes and the empty changing room. She'd just gotten the news that Yaya and Kairi had gone missing from the large crowd of fellow students that had their swim time cut short. She'd never been as good with people as her twin, and she certainly han't entirely enjoyed the stuffy environment, mostly because of what the heat and the thick steam reminded her of. However, the news worried her, although she assured herself that they were fine. Still, she'd be hurrying to follow the rest and get back to the hotel, and see Kairi and Yaya safely back._

_As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was still having nightmares. Granted, they were lest frequent, but they still came. Not only that, but something about herself as of late had felt off, like trying to solve a math problem and knowing that it was wrong, but all the work she'd done seemed correct. Like she wore thick, impenetrable chain armour, except a single link in thousands of chains was missing. It bothered her, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it._

_She began the long task of brushing her hair, wincing. She'd been stupid to take it out of her usual ponytail, because whenever she did it got all knotted and kinked, just like it was now. There was nothing she could do about it, but still—_

"_Need help?" Hands from behind her took the brush and slid it through her hair gently. Nadeshiko nearly hit the roof._

"_You scared the hell out of me," She glowered at him, but did not move to stop him from touching her._

"_I'm sorry," Tadase said evenly. "I just wanted to talk to you."_

"_Which means you should listen," Kiseki ordered, narrowly avoiding a kick from Azumi._

_She swallowed hard, her chest clenching painfully. She'd made a decision, and she was going to stick with it. It really was no use in pretending, even he knew, and nothing at all had happened in the last few months... Maybe... she could tell him..._

"_I have something to talk to you about, too," She said, trying to hide her anxiousness. "B-But, um, you can go first."_

_He smiled sadly, and set down her brush, one hand still resting in her hair. "Do you remember what I said to you that day when you and Nagihiko switched places?"_

"_Er—yeah," Nadeshiko said, puzzled. "You asked me this at the hospital... and you said that you knew it was me because you know me too well..."_

"_I do." He leaned closer and pressed his forehead to hers, taking a deep breath. "You're beautiful and proud and just... perfect, exactly the way you are. And you're perseverant." Tadase slid his hands behind her back and drew her closer, burying his face in her neck. "You don't give up."_

"_I—I guess not."_

"_I know I swore to you I would win you back." Tadase tightened his grip, as if refusing to let her go. "And I know you swore to me you wouldn't let me." He let out a sad little chuckle. "Almost like our little game, huh? Like a game of tag. I chase you and try to reach you so you can chase me back. But I don't think I'm ever going to reach you, am I?"_

"_Tadase?"_

"_You win," He whispered in her ear, and then he was kissing her, cupping her face in his hands and keeping her close, as if desperate for air, and she was kissing him back, arms secured around his neck, unsure and terrified and confused. The scent of fresh apples was on her tongue, on his breath, everywhere, and she couldn't get enough, it would never be enough. The way he held her, not like she was a delicate little doll that needed to be held, but like she was a piece of him that made him whole, as if her never wanted to let her go..._

_Then he pulled away, and that feeling was ripped from her. Nadeshiko stared at him, unwilling to let go. He smiled at her and let go, moving away gently. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't breathe, not at all. And then she realized that she couldn't breathe._

"_Nadeshiko!" Azumi screamed._

_Nadeshiko fell to the floor, clawing at her throat._

* * *

_Beneath the starry light of the twilight sky, a loud crack and a mad cackle of inhuman laughter could be heard._

_It was such a strange and frightening combination of sound that several curious people came to invesigate the two places where the noise had resonated from. One was in a soccer field, and another was in front of a building that belonged to some music corporation that sounded vaguely familiar._

_Lying in the soccer field was a young man, around the age of eighteen, who was curled up in a ball and shivering, his dilated eyes haunted. From the look of him, he was an aspiring soccer player._

_Standing in front of the building was a young woman with long blonde hair. On closer inspection, she was an international idol that everyone recognized. Her eyes were, as each of them would remember, bone-chillingly dead and empty._

_If they'd had the eyes to see it, they would have seen the shattered pieces of an eggshell lying beside the boy. If they'd been there, they would have seen the young man walking across the field, when out of the blue he fell and did not get back up again. They would have seen a small, faerie-like creature shout in pain and disappear into an egg that immediately broke into thousands of pieces. They would see two floating characters scream as shells materialized around them and hatched again to reveal two madly cackling things in their place. __But they didn't. _

_Not that it mattered. They were too far gone to have been saved, anyway._

_At the same time, in distant Paris, a man with midnight-blue hair and eyes stood in front of the gates to a plane, ready to board and fly to Japan. He stood, as if trying to decide something, then sighed and ripped his plane ticket in half, and walked away without looking back._

* * *

"What's going on?" I called over the noise. "What happened?"

Nagihiko turned to me, an expression of worry on his face. "Yaya and Kairi have gone missing."

I cursed. "What have those two gotten into? They better not be making out somewhere. I'll be so pissed..."

"Everyone's getting out of the water to go back to the hotel," Nagi said, still frowning. "The teachers will be heading out to look for them."

I sighed, but in truth, I was a little worried. This wasn't Osaka, no one at Seiyo really knew Yoshinoyama. It was a lot easier to get lost here than it was back home, because nothing was really familiar and there were no familiar faces to get help from. There were no places you could make your way back to in case you got lost, and none of us were really all that used to the thick wilderness...

The two of us split up to get through to the locker rooms, before I cursed. I'd left my towel back at the other, far end of the springs. "I'll catch up with you guys," I told a few of my female friends. I made my way back through, inhaling the thick, intoxicating steam, picking my way gingerly across the smooth tiles to the farthest bubbling pool.

"Where are you?" I muttered, inching my way around.

"Hello, miss."

I jumped, startled, and nearly fell into the pool. "Oh. Hello." Through the mist, I had not seen the man.

He wasn't tall at all, but he was stocky with strong arms. His eyes were rimmed with red, his hair was filthy, and his skin was covered in grime. He also wore a dirty leather coat. I tried not to wrinkle my nose. He was probably here to take a bath or something.

"Hello," He repeated, baring his yellow teeth at me. A cold shiver ran through my body. Why did this man look so familiar? Like I'd seen him somewhere important...

"I'm looking for someone," He told me. His voice was light and cheerful, with a tinge of something else behind it. "My friend and I."

"Creepy," Kusukusu muttered.

"Oh." I blinked. A second man, much taller, heavily muscled, and just as dirty stepped out from the shadowed fog and gave me a nasty smile. I swallowed hard. "Um. My teacher's just over there," I lied. "I'll just go get him." I turned and began to hurry away.

"Not so fast, little lady." Hands grabbed me from behind, and I shrieked, thrashing wildly and screaming. The first man dug his nails into my skin, forcing me to face him. His breath smelled horrible. "You seem to be the lady we were looking for... Rima Mashiro."

I shuddered. "How do you know my name?"

"Don't you remember me?" His grin grew wider, and suddenly I could see the missing puzzle piece in his expression: insanity. "We've met before, after all."

Kusukusu inhaled sharply. "Rima, run."

A sudden memory, one that I had blocked out of my mind for so long, flashed over my eyes. A wide, awful smile. The inside of a car. The sound of gunshots and screaming. Pain. Lots of pain.

"Rima, run!" Kusukusu screamed.

Terror sharpened my senses and dulled my logic, and I screamed bloody murder, trying to shove him away. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Revenge is sweet," He whispered, and reached into his jacket.

"HELP ME!" I shrieked, sobbing as I tried to wrench myself out of his grip, but he gave a laugh, an exhilarated, crazed scream, and something glittering and grey flashed in my vision, and then I registered blinding pain, piercing my chest, then my shoulder, and I was sightless... In the distance, I could hear screaming, awful, terrified screams of agony, and the rusty, salty scent of blood pervaded my nose and mouth.

"Noooo!" Kusukusu wailed.

"Rima?" A voice called.

"Nagihiko, help us!"

"Kusukusu? Rima!"

When my vision cleared just enough for me to make out the scene around me, my body wracked with pain, my throat tight. There were no words enough to describe the pain I felt. I only managed to see long purple hair whip past me and a shout.

"Nagihiko," I whimpered.

"Get the hell away from her!" He shouted, and his form smashed into the tall man's. The was a thump, then a WHUMP-CRUNCH! and a nasty crack, like bones being broken. The taller man gave a bull-like roar.

"Kill the spare," The shorter man said quietly, standing over me. Red dripped from a silver shaft, onto the ground before me.

"Rhythm, Temari, get help," Nagihiko ordered.

"No," I moaned. Then the man placed a foot over my chest, digging his rough shoes into my wound, and I screamed and sobbed, thrashing madly, cries juddering brokenly out of my chest. The sound of Rhythm and Temari's anguished screams reverberated in my ears.

The sound of splashing, muffled screams and choking made me struggle, but I couldn't get up. Finally the splashing slowed and ceased, and my vision cleared, enough to see the face of the man I loved.

His beautiful brown eyes were dull and empty, his skin white and his lips pale. The tall man dumped his lifeless body by the side of the water, and he lay there, silent and unfeeling. I sobbed, reaching out a hand towards him, but the shorter man brought his foot down and crushed my fingers. I cried out in pain, but already everything was beginning to fade to black.

Then the sound of chatters, then screams, and shouts rang in my ears, and the two men were gone, running away.

With the last, dwindling energy I could muster, I crawled toward Nagihiko, blood soaking my chest and flowing freely, and collapsed on his chest, curling up in his arms one last time. Kusukusu, Rhythm and Temari were gone. "Goodbye, Nagihiko," I rasped. Then all my strength left me, and everything was gone.

* * *

"_Nadeshiko?" Tadase frowned in confusion as she tried to inhale, to drag air into her lungs, clutching at her throat in a panic, choking and coughing and spluttering as if she were drowning. She slipped off the bench and fell to the ground, shuddering. "Nadeshiko!"_

_He lunged after her, kneeling beside her, shocked and terrified. She stared up at him with wide eyes, opening and closing her mouth, slowly turning red._

"_Save her!" Azumi begged him, fluttering over her bearer's head. Tears were running down the tiny character's cheeks."She's dying!"_

"_N-No," He said in fear, and pressed his hands on her chest. All he could think to do was fix it, help her, do something, because she was suffocating, what was going on?_

"_Don't just stand there, idiot!" Kiseki yelled at him. "DO SOMETHING!"_

_Tadase bit back a sob and began to work. A rhythm, one, two. Pressing his lips to her and trying to force air into her lungs. One, two. Breathe. One, two. Breathe. One, two. Nadeshiko was slowly turning blue, his attempts to save her failing, eyes dilated with terror as he worked, before they began to dull as she slowly fell out of consciousness, eyes catching his one last time._

_Azumi let out a strangled gasp, before she was swallowed up inside her egg and evaporated._

"_No, no, no!" He moaned, holding back a sob and working fervently, but it was useless. Her breath was gone, and heartbeat had faded into nothingness. Nadeshiko was dead._

"_**Death for the castle and flowers in bloom,"**__ A voice echoed, unheard._

"_Nadeshiko," Tadase sobbed, pulling her closer and burying his face in her lifeless neck, shoulders trembling as he lamented his agony. Because she was impossibly far away, a distant forever, and there was nothing he could do to get her back._

_She was dead._

* * *

**Read and Review!**


	51. In Which Amu Taunts Destiny!

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! ****Thank you all so much for reading! I feel so lucky to have you guys like my story, and I'm so proud I finally completed my first fan fiction! Woooo! And remember, the sequel is now out!**

**I do not own Shugo Chara and Shugo Chara! Encore!**

* * *

**Amu**

"So beautiful," Miki murmured.

The senior class had arrived at the springs, and we had spent the past hour just lazing around in it, enjoying the hot water. Heady steam rose off the deliciously warm water, Tatami walls rose high, and white-tiled floors lined the ground. Each pool's interior was clear enough to see to the bottom, the insides smooth stone instead of the white tile.

I wish I'd had the heart to enjoy it; for the past few weeks I'd fallen into a slump forcing myself to do my best to save my friends even as a thick, inescapable gloom settled over me. In my heart, I knew that there was hope somewhere, but really... what chance did I have of finding it? Everything was already falling apart. I knew I didn't have much time.

"Amu, cheer up, everything will be fine," Ran told me, but even I could see she had lost her cheer.

Rima and Nagihiko, who had been dipping their toes in the water alongside me, continued to arguing. I watched them sadly, knowing how likely it was that I would fail and that they had very little time left together. Nadeshiko clung to my side, looking nervous. She kept glancing at Tadase, on Nagi's other side far from her, and I remembered her telling me she didn't think she could hold out that much longer. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was right, that if she got back together with Tadase, she wouldn't have that much longer with him anyways.

My hand strayed absently to my towel pocket, where the Humpty Lock was hidden. I still couldn't wear it, but I tried to keep it with me at all times, finding time to myself to try and figure out a way to fix things. I had tried everything, and nothing had worked.

"Don't give up," Dia insisted. "There has to be something we haven't tried. We'll save everyone."

It might have been better to try, I thought vaguely. But then, we'd all have been living a lie, would we? None of it would be real, would it? Everything would just be fake. We would literally be living a lie. And the truth, no matter how much it hurt, would still be the truth. And the truth will always come out one way or another.

_A lie is like a sandcastle,_ my mother had once said. _The first wave of truth will bring it down._

I reached my fingers into my pocket, then froze. There was nothing there.

Ran fluttered up to me. "Amu—?"

I turned and sprinted away at top speed, scanning the grounds frantically. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I stifled a sob and continued to search, backtracking and retracing my steps, but the glint of electrum and glass was nowhere in sight.

"Amu, wait!" My four guardian characters flew after me.

The forest's beauty no longer seemed sweet, but cruel. The rustling trees seemed to laugh at me. I slowed to a stop, exhausted, panicked, and now lost. I fell to my knees, hiding my face in my hands. I had lost the Humpty Lock. I had lost it. There was absolutely, positively no chance that I could save anyone now.

"No," I said in distraught. "It can't be gone..." I trailed off as my eyes widened. A strange thrum of noise resonated through the forest, just reaching my right ear. Without thinking, I turned and began to follow the noise, entranced by it, as if it was calling to me. A sense of surety and well-being filled by chest, although my mind was screaming at me that this was dangerous, that I was going to get even more lost, and anything could be calling to me; a malevolent ghost, a demon, maybe even a vampire or a werewolf. I never knew nowadays, because after the trouble we'd had with O Shinge, I swore I'd seen the supernatural world everywhere.

On an on I went, picking up speed until I was sprinting at top speed, entirely focused on this one sound. I had to reach it, nothing else mattered but this sound that called to me... no matter what, I must find it...

The light grew dimmer and dimmer, the trees growing thicker and thicker until I could no longer see the light, only a dim glint that showed through the canopy, and I was dodging the widening trunks, ignoring the gashes and and scrapes across my face and arms, desperate to reach this one sound that rang through the dark...

I no longer knew what time it was. Maybe an hour or two had passed since I had truly seen the light of day. It didn't matter. I moved faster now, wiping away the sweat that was trickling down my forehead, fast-cooling on my arms and legs.

I forced my way through the thick bamboo and burst suddenly onto a clearing. "Oof!"

I sat up, blinking in surprise and wincing slightly at the sudden bright light. Above, beautiful sakura flowered, still fresh enough that the petals had not loosened entirely and blown away, but still old enough to have come into full bloom. A stream, still somehow clear and cool, burbled pleasantly nearby, azaleas bloomed far off by the wall of trees that created the clearing. And close by, still standing with its worn stones, covered in moss, was a well, upon which a familiar figure sat.

"The violet well," I said breathlessly. "O Shinge?"

The ghost inclined her head, a small smile of surprise and confusion on her face. She wore the same pale yellow cotton kimono as I had first seen her in, fluttering gracefully around her, and her hair danced in an invisible breeze. She had a faint glow, even in the late afternoon sunlight, and she did not seem fazed by my appearance. She sat primly, her deep brown eyes glinting, and her fingers toyed with something.

"I thought..." I sat down in front of her. "I thought that you had..."

"Moved on?" She smiled softly. "To whatever would come next?" I nodded, unsure of what 'moving on' meant when you were dead. "The dead must move on if they wish to truly be at rest," O Shinge said quietly. "But as you are not dead, I cannot tell you why I am here."

"Because the living shouldn't understand the secrets of the dead," I guessed.

Her brow furrowed. "Yes. You, however, are different story entirely. What, might I ask, are you doing at this well?"

I looked at her. "I came here..."

"Yes?"

"Because..." I frowned. "Because something called me here?"

"Hmm..." Her fingers fluttered, and my eyes rested on them, then widened. She held the Humpty Lock.

"That's my Lock." I got to my knees, leaning forward and stretching out my fingers, and then faltered. "Ah—but..."

"Hm?" She blinked and looked at me. "Oh. This is my amulet. You were its guardian, were you not?" She emphasized the _were._

"How did you know?" I whispered, falling back.

Her eyes glowed. "Because it is mine."

"... What?" I said cautiously.

"I am the owner of this amulet. Or," She lifted it in my direction, "I was. Although why I have it now, I am not sure. It simple appeared here."

"I don't understand." I said helplessly. "You were the first Joker? But, I thought Akira—"

"Joker?" O Shinge looked confused. "What is a Joker? This is my amulet, the Heart's Lock."

"Heart's Lock? But it's the Humpty Lock, isn't it? That's... um..." I shook my head in confusion.

She seemed just as lost as I was. "The Heart's Lock was given to me by my love," She insisted. "He said it had belonged to his ancestors, and his ancestor's ancestors, until the line was lost and no one remembered where it came from. That's what he called it. The Heart's Lock. He had a matching key, called the Heart's Key. This was a gift, an amulet against darkness that would protect dreams."

"But..."

"I had never truly believed that it would protect my dreams," O Shinge said vaguely. "But I could not seem to part with it. It was a token of his love, after all. Even when I flung myself into that well, I still wore it. The last thing I remember was that the light seemed to be leaving me, and then..." A shadow crossed her face, and a ripple of cold rolled through the clearing. I shivered. "The next time I saw it, you wore it."

I tried to process this. O Shinge was... the first Lock Guardian? But, she didn't even know that she was the first Lock Guardian.

"It was given to me by the Guardians," I told her. "A group that tried to protect the dreams of children. Well, actually, everyone's' dreams. I knew it was powerful and that it helped me protect dreams and transform, but I didn't know that I was the Lock Guardian or exactly what the Lock was and what it was supposed to do until just last year. Maybe..."

"Perhaps it really is supposed to protect dreams," O Shinge mused. "How unfortunate that it could not save mine..."

"Wait, that's right..." I frowned. "So, you weren't the first..."

"Excuse me?" O Shinge frowned. "Not the first what?"

"You weren't the very _first_ Lock Guardian," I told her. "If it went back ages and ages before you owned it... It's probably not related to the bloodline, since you weren't of the Yoshizawa bloodline, but you owned the Humpty Lock, and since you could wear it, the Humpty Lock chose you. You were one of the Lock Guardians. It must've once been called the Heart's Lock, but I guess it got rechristened the Humpty Lock. That's probably why you were such a powerful spirit, enough to become as powerful as a demon and attack Osaka, because you used to be the Lock Guardian. And I am... I _was _the Lock Guardian, but not anymore." I found my eyes drawn to the Lock. "And for whatever reason, it's come back to you."

"It used to belong to me," She agreed. "But obviously not anymore. However you managed to get it, I am not sure, but clearly you are this 'Lock Guardian', or whatever nonsense you are spouting." She lifted the Lock, and it swayed like a pendulum. I reached out, but faltered and pulled back.

"It is yours, yes?" She said quizzically. "Do you not want it?"

I looked down at the thick grass. The violets were not yet in bloom. "I do," I whispered. "It should be mine. I want it to be mine. But I screwed up really bad, and now I've ruined everything..." I told her everything. She was silent for a long time.

Finally she said, "In that moment that you destroyed it, you rejected it, yes?" I nodded. "And since you are no longer the Lock Guardian."

"Yes."

She sighed. "Then if this Guardian nonsense is true, we have something in common."

"What do you mean?"

She laughed bitterly. "We were both the Lock Guardian. But I did not believe in its power, and you lost your faith in its power. Neither of us trusted the... Humpty Lock, as you call it, to save our dreams. In the end, we both abandoned it."

"I want to be the Lock Guardian again," I said miserably.

"But for the right reasons?" She fixed me with a cold stare.

I opened my mouth to insist that yes, they were perfectly good reasons, and then I stopped. Because they weren't the right reasons, were they? Of course, it was a good thing to want to save my friends from death, and from shattering their heart's eggs, to keep our relationships intact and to keep everything from falling apart, but it was to fix my wrongdoing. I didn't want to try to become the Lock Guardian again just to save them. I wanted to become the Lock Guardian because I'd done something horrible, something awful, and I wanted to take it back because I was scared of the consequences. I was doing the right thing... for the wrong reasons.

I felt more ashamed of myself than I ever had in that moment, even more than I had when Dia became an X-Character, than when I had broken Tadase's heart, even more than the shame I had felt when I wasn't my true self. Here I was, trying to become the Lock Guardian, when it was only so that I would not have been the cause of destroying every shred of happiness that I had. I didn't want to be the bad guy, I didn't want to be a horrible person, and I had believed that by owning the Humpty Lock once more I would fix everything.

But you can't change the past, even on the Road of Stars, and there was nothing I could do to change the fact that I had ruined my friends' lives, whether they knew it or not. I'd destroyed everything, and the truth? The real reason I didn't want to tell them was because I was afraid of what they would think of me. That it would show that I, a 'friend', had shortened their lives to the point they couldn't be sure if they would live to see the next day, couldn't be sure what would happen before they broke their own eggs and lost the people they loved.

Maybe we were living a lie. Maybe it would've destroyed us all without my help. The truth was always better than lies. But the Lock and Key had still helped us all. They had given us a second chance, to live and be happy, to follow our dreams, whatever they may be. And they had given us love. So really, I had lived a lie, then chosen the truth and regretted it, and was trying to live that lie again, because it was happier for everyone.

I shut my eyes, biting down hard on my lip as tears welled behind my lids. I was a horrible person, wasn't I? The truth is always better than a lie, isn't it? It's better to know the truth than to live a lie. Was that wrong? Could a lie ever be better than the truth?

"If only I could choose the truth and still fix everything," I said to myself. "If only... I could save everyone's dreams honestly..."

"Will you take it?" O Shinge offered me the Humpty Lock. "Are you going to save your friends?"

"I can't live a lie, but I can't save them if I choose to live with the truth," I murmured. "Which Destiny do I choose?"

"Will you accept your former Destiny, or the Lock's Destiny?" Lock was there, it was just within reach, all I had to do was reach out and grab it...

"... But who says that I can't write my own Destiny?" I said aloud, and my fingers grazed the Humpty Lock.

The Humpty Lock exploded with radiant energy then, intense light so bright I was nearly blinded, its hum so loud in my ears that they began to ring. _**"Destiny destroyed at catalyst star-crossed, **_a familiar voice called out, and for the first time I recognized it as my own. I cried out, but I could not hear my own voice over the noise, couldn't move, only sat there blinded, dumbfounded and half-deaf until I could finally see, hear, and think clearly again.

Lying in its spot of almost five years around my neck lay the Humpty Lock, once more reclaimed, kaleidoscopic light glittering as it thrummed with power. A new rush of energy surged through my veins, and I stumbled to my feet, bewildered and lost, banging my knee against hard stone, then stumbling back, losing my balance on the uneven ground and rolling down the hill and into the stream. I yelped the second icy water hit my skin and leapt out of the water, only to trip and hit my head on a trunk and collapse in a heap on the ground, clutching my head and moaning.

"Are you all right?" O Shinge's voice, filled with astonished concern came from somewhere above me. I winced, rubbing at the tender flesh on my forehead, and looked up at her.

"...What just happened?"

"You touched the Lock and it glowed. Then you started yelling and stumbling around my clearing like a drunken monkey."

"Uh..." I got to my feet, feeling dazed.

"If I could hazard a guess, I would say you are the Lock Guardian once more," She said helpfully.

I stared at her as this sunk in. I was the Lock Guardian again. I could save my friends. I could fix everything. "I don't know what to say," I murmured, lowering my gaze and cupping the Lock in my hands. It felt right around my neck; I hadn't realized how good it felt to be able simply to wear it again until now. It was almost like I'd just reclaimed a lost piece of myself, which was somehow calming, even with my befuddled thoughts. "I can save everyone!" I laughed now, smiling so wide that it felt like I couldn't smile enough.

"I think it is time for you to go back," O Shinge told me. "People will worry, yes?"

"Yes!" I nodded, still grinning madly. "I—I—thank you!"

She nodded, although it was clear she was convinced I was crazy. "You are very welcome?"

I nodded, then backed away, then turned on my heel and stumbled in a half-drunk, half-giddy way, out of the clearing.

"Amu!" I whirled around to see my guardian characters before me with wild eyes.

"I got it back!" I told them happily, shaking the Humpty Lock at them. "I'm the Lock Guardian again!"

"Amu, where have you been?" Ran said frantically. "You've been gone for hours!"

I cocked my head, uncomprehending. "What do you mean? Weren't you there with me?"

Miki rushed towards me. "Where's there?! Amu, you started running into the forest and disappeared like a ghost! It's almost five o'clock, and you started running an hour before noon!"

"But..." I frowned, all giddiness gone. "It couldn't have been... that long..." I looked up at the sky, and gasped. The setting sun had painted the sky ablaze with rich red and gold. "N-No...! That's impossible!" I shook myself. "Gosh, we need to get back!" I turned to Ran. "I—I think I can transform again. If I fly back, it'll be way easier than if I just ran."

"Amu..."

"And then, once I let everyone know I'm okay, I can fix everything," I said, half to myself. "I can convince Nade and Tadase to get back together, and I can figure out what to do about Yaya and Kairi, and—"

"Amu!" Su shouted. "Amu, it's too late~desu!"

"What?" I blinked.

"Amu..." Dia floated close to me, her eyes filled with sadness. "They're gone."

* * *

I found myself flying at top speed, transformed as Amulet Heart, over the treetops, headed straight for the natural springs. There had to be a way to fix this. There had to be. I could do it. I could...

I stuttered and landed clumsily on the ground, hiding behind a tree as I reached the building where the springs were. In front of the building, an ambulance was squealing away, and police sirens could be heard. I swallowed back a sob and popped out of my transformation, making my way towards the front.

All twenty-five students stood close by, fully dressed and talking in worried and scared tones, fully dressed and perfectly safe.

Almost all twenty-five.

Upon seeing me, each of them quieted and cleared a path as I walked through in a daze. Three white sheets covered the bodies, but I didn't need to see under them. Two bodies were exactly the same size, like twins, and the other was miniscule, almost like a doll. Tadase stood beside one bed, sobbing uncontrollably, and lying in the others were the dead expressions of a boy only a few years younger than I with green hair and large glasses, the other a girl with her hair still in her trademark pigtails and her sparkly red ribbons.

"No," I breathed, but I couldn't seem to stop walking. "No, no, no, it can't be..."

"Amu..." My guardian characters floated forward with tearful eyes.

I couldn't stop walking, because this was just some really sick joke, and they were waiting to pop up any second and frighten the bejeezus out of me, right? Right?

I fell to my knees and screamed.

I had failed. And now they were gone forever.

The word seemed to seize, and suddenly everything was frozen, like someone had hit the pause button and now time had stopped. Maybe it had. All I knew was that suddenly O Shinge stood before me, her eyes aglow.

"Your friends are gone," She said quietly. "Why do you not save them?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "What?"

"Save them," She told me. "You have the Lock."

"I..." Suddenly the air seemed to return to my lungs, and I could breathe again. "I can save them. I can... the Road of Stars!"

I could go back into the past. I could take my friends from the past, where they would still be alive and well. Everything would be fine.

She sighed. "I did not tell you the real reason I returned. I cannot tell you everything, but I will tell you I was recalled to help you. Do not ask me why," She raised a hand to prevent me from speaking, "but I am aware of this. The Road of Stars can help you."

"Then I'll travel the Road of Stars! I can—"

"Wait." She shook her head. "As you know, traveling the Road is very dangerous. You can get back your friends from the past, I can promise you this..."

"Okay! Then I'll do it!"

"...But if you do so, you must remember that you also alter the future." She fixed me with a terrifying stare. "Pulling or changing anything from the past affects the present and limits the choices of the future. If you save your friends, you must be prepared for the consequences. I fear your journey will be much longer than you think."

"I don't care," I insisted. "I have to save my friends."

"Is this your choice?" She inspected me. "You cannot turn back from here. You choose to save them now, you cannot change that choice again. You will suffer."

"I don't care." I closed my eyes. "I will travel the Road of Stars. I will save my friends."

"So be it."

"_**A choice shall decide the Heroes' Doom..."**_

Then the world erupted, I was enveloped in blinding white light, and then I was falling through an endless vortex of stars brighter than the sun.

**.*~THE END~*.**

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**Read and Review!**


	52. Cut Scenes

**Hello, hello! Sylph Dancer here! No, this is not another chapter, and it isn't the sequel, that's already out right now. It's just a few cut or unfinished scenes that never made it into the final work. I thought you might like to see them, so...**

**I do not own Shugo Chara!, Shugo Chara! Encore!, MY BOY, Buono!, Jersey Shore, or Gakuen Alice.**

* * *

**A/N: This is just a little part during the chapter where Ran goes to find Ikuto so he can eat lunch with Amu, who is stuck in the bathroom with a bad case of diarrhea.**

**Amu**

I groaned as I pushed my way out of the bathroom, clutching my stomach. That was the last time I listened to Ran about my choice of lunch.

I plopped back into my seat, wiping at my brow. "Never again," I mumbled. "Never again..."

"Never again what, Amu-koi?" A voice drawled in my ear.

I shrieked and toppled out of my seat, scuttling to my feet and blushing at all the weird looks everyone was giving me. "Don't do that!"

Ikuto pouted, nuzzling my ear. I slapped him away. "Aw, you're so harsh, Amu."

"How did you know I was here?" I demanded furiously, pushing him outside since we were making a scene.

"A little bird told me."

I huffed. "Whatever. Geez, just don't freak me out like that!"

He smirked. "But it's so much fun to see you freak out."

I flushed. "Shut up! Go away!"

"Well..." He adopted a hurt-puppy look. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No! Wait—yes? I—argh!" I threw my hands up in the air. "Stop confusing me!"

Ikuto burst out laughing then, sweeping me up into his arms. I squirmed, feeling my cheeks heat beyond boiling point. "Such a cutie."

"Pervert," I mumbled.

"Yes, but I'm _your _pervert," He said in I think what he thought was an innocent voice, but was about as close to innocent as a beetle was to a butterfly.

**A/N: I was going to stick in an on-the-plane scene for the trip to California. I decided it was unnecessary.**

**Yaya**

A soft, cold breeze wound its way through the early morning air, a fading reminisce of the nighttime coolness. The sun just cast a white glow on the dawn horizon, peeking through the misty, shadowed clouds. Even on June 14th at two in the morning, the airport was abuzz with life. Though it held that strange clean openness and chill of all airports, people of all sorts were pulling black suitcases with wheels across the white floors and pushing carts, carrying backpacks, sporting thin tops or long coats, wearing hats, scarves, all sorts of traveling paraphernalia.

The ten of us seemed to hold a sort of an aura of exhaustion. Amu and Utau were stretching their arms, yawning widely and scratching their scalps. Ikuto was brooding, dark shadows under puffy, red-rimmed eyes. Kukai was dozing in his chair, eyes fluttering closed and then flying open at loud noises. Rima and Tadase were sleeping, cute, babyish expressions on their faces that screwed up and pouted as Nagihiko and Nadeshiko poked and prodded them, holding in snickers and laughs.

"Flight 29, calling all passengers!"

"Mmmfrrmf," I mumbled, rubbing the sticky sleep from my eyes. Kairi, somehow (and unfairly) bright and bushy-tailed, chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

Immediately I was wide awake, feeling the heat flood to my cheeks. "W-What was that for?"

"I-I'm sorry," He said, surprised. "You looked cute, so..." A tinge of pink appeared in his cheeks. "Did I offend you?"

"N-No, of course not!" I looked down at my toes. "I'm just not used to you doing things like that."

A small flash of hurt crossed his expression. "Would you like me not to?"

"No, no, you can... um, do stuff. Like that." Ahh, this is all coming out wrong! "I mean, you can if you want to, I don't mind, I mean..."

His shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. "Okay, then." He reached forward and squeezed my hand, and we rested our foreheads against each others'. "Yaya-koi." I blushed at the name.

"God, you two are so freaking in love, it's making me sick," Utau grumbled, ruffling her hair. "And it sucks, because I can't even tell you to get a room, you're so innocent."

"Let's hurry and get on the plane," Nagihiko said brightly. The rest of us glared at him.

Nadeshiko giggled. "You guys can sleep on the plane. Here, I've got the tickets. We're all in first class." She coaxed tickets into our hands.

I read mine. "First Class, Row 14, Seat J." I felt Kairi look over my shoulder and lift his up next to mine.

"First Class, Row 15, Seat Q."

"Oh."

Kukai blinked sleepily at his ticket. "Hey, dude, I've got seat K. You want to trade?"

"Thank you," Kairi said calmly as the two exchanged tickets.

"Seat P," Utau said, and smiled at her boyfriend.

Nagi looked at his ticket, then peeked over at Rima's, which was slowly being crushed in her death grip, and smiled happily. "Row 15, Seat N."

"And Rima's O?" Nadeshiko, nudged her brother with her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

He peered over at her ticket. "Row 16, Seat S."

"14, M," Ikuto rubbed his eyes.

Amu looked at her ticket. Her eyes widened. "Anyone want to trade?"

"What'd you get?" Utau snatched her ticket. "L...Oh. No, you'll be fine," SHe said forcefully, giving Amu a pointed look.

"Yo, Kiddy King," Ikuto said in a bored voice, traipsing over to the feminine blonde and shaking him in brotherly way. "Wake up."

Tadase yawned and rubbed his fists in his eyes, his lips opening in a great wide o. "Mmm..."

"Time to get on the plane. Get your bags."

"Hmm? Okay..." He leaned down and shouldered his bag, blinking sleepily. He caught Nade's eye and smiled, yawning and ruffling his hair.

Nade looked like she was trying not to burst out laughing. "Let's go, guys."

With that, the ten of us trudged up to board the plane, casting a backwards glance at Japan. In a number of hours, we would be out of Japan, the only country most of us had ever known, into America, a place that seemed almost more distant than the pure moon in the sky.

As the ten of us showed our tickets and walked through the walkway to board the plane, a sort of faint farewell seemed to hang in the air. We were really going off to America, just the ten of us, out of the country without our families. The thought was daunting.

"Here, I'll put our stuff up here." Kairi took my bag, and I smiled at him as we sat down.

Amu whimpered almost inaudibly, a noise that sounded like 'dear-God-somebody-please-save-me-now-I'm-going-to -die' all compacted into one tiny 'eep.'

"Rima, are you excited?" Nagi poked Rima's cheek.

She grumbled and swatted at him sleepily. "Go away. I'm trying to sleep."

"I can't do that," Nagi said, grinning. "I'm in the seat next to you."

Rima's eyes flew open. "WHAT?!"

Tadase yawned. "Hmm... where are we"

Nadeshiko held in a snicker. "We're on the plane, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Tadase rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I'm a little out of it."

"You think?" She rolled her eyes. "If you're that tired, you should sleep."

"Hmm? Okay." He sat down in his chair, settling, and began to snore. Like a duck. Nadeshiko doubled over, silently laughing hysterically.

"You should go to sleep if you're tired," Kairi told me.

I shook my head. "Nooo, I can stay up! I want to stay awake!"

Kairi sighed. Then something flickered in the back of his eyes. "Okay, Yaya. But you know, your ears will hurt when we take off. If you lay back in your seat, it's supposed to help."

"Really? That's a good idea!"I giggled as we sat.

A tall, young-looking woman with long, thick dark hair and large, dark brown eyes appeared at the head of the plane, smiling. For some reason something about her made it seem like she was someone that I should know. "Good afternoon passengers. My name is Akira..." She began to review the safety procedures. I felt my eyelids start to droop and tried to stay awake, but Kairi had started to stroke my hair, brushing strands back from my face softly. Before I knew it, the woman's mysterious voice seemed to drift off into an echo that reverberated inside my head bringing dreams of a girl in tight black leather and holding thin, curving blades, a golden locket sparkling at her throat as her long hair blew around her face.

* * *

_Akira glanced at the passengers, watching in particular ten young teenagers. Cocking her head and smiling, she turned away, glancing back once with a knowing look in her eyes at a young, exhausted-looking girl with bubblegum pink hair that sat next to the sullen blue-haired man, a golden locket around her neck that seemed to hum with pure energy._

"_I never thought I'd see that again," She mused. "And I suppose the other one has the key. Good. They're going to need them."_

* * *

"Yaya-koi, wake up," A soft voice whispered in my ear. I moaned, sitting up and yawning.

"Hmm? What?" I blinked, looking around. We were still on the plane. Looking out my window, I saw a distant blue that seemed to stretch on in every direction forever. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Eight hours. It's almost eleven." Kairi kissed the top of my head. "You were out cold. I'm glad you're awake. I was getting worried."

"That long?! Jeez! Were you bored?" I asked, feeling embarrassed.

"Nope. I've been doing a little light reading and slept for about three hours. But, since it's lunchtime now, I thought perhaps we should order."

"Okey-dokey!" I smiled at him, and looked around. Rima and Nagi were quietly arguing. Amu had her face buried in a magazine that she was paying no attention to, constantly glancing at Ikuto, who was looking at sheets of music, listening to music. Utau was smiling and talking politely to several excited people that were completely ignoring an testy-looking Kukai who was attempting to get back into his seat, currently occupied by a snotty-looking girl who kept giving Kukai dirty looks and turning back to Utau with a fawning smile. Nade and Tada were, startlingly, arguing heatedly, Nade gesturing with her hands impatiently as she whispered and Tadase shaking his head furiously and speaking in a low hiss.

"Lunch does seem nice," I said thoughtfully. "Rima, Nagi, wanna get lunch?" The two kept bickering, paying me no attention. "HEY!" I said, and the two looked at me. I huffed. "Mou, you two never pay attention to me. Do you want to get lunch?"

"Sorry, Yaya. Is it already around lunchtime?" Nagi smiled politely.

"Yep! Amu, Iku, you guys want lunch?"

"Iku?" Iku said quizzically.

Amu nodded, forcing a smile that still looked pretty miserable. "Sure, Yaya."

"Kay! You guys are paying, right?"

"What? But-"

"Excuse me," I said cheerily to a passing flight attendant, "May we order lunch?"

"Ah, of course!" She smiled graciously. "Would you like to order off our menu?"

"Sure!"

She nodded. "I'll be right back."

Kukai came over. "I'd like lunch, too. Yo, Utau, what do you want?"

"Um, excuse me?" The snotty girl said rudely. "We're talking here."

"I can see that," Kukai said, forcing a polite tone, "But as neither my girlfriend or I have gotten any food or undisturbed time together, I assumed she wanted something to eat. And time to eat it alone."

"Gawd!" The girl huffed. "Jeez you don't need to be so rude! We were just talking!"

"Excuse me, miss," The stewardess tapped the girl on the shoulder. "I apologize, but if you're not in first class, I'll have to ask you to please go back to your area."

"Whatever." The girl rolled her eyes. "Let's go, girls. We didn't even want to be here anyway." She stomped away.

"GYAHHH!" Utau covered her ears. "Oh my God! I thought she'd never shut the hell up!"

"I hope she's not coming back," Kukai grumbled. "Stood there for half an hour just waiting for her to go away so I could actually sit down in my seat. I'm not even kidding, I checked my watch."

"Hey, hey, lunch will make it all better, ~desu!" Su said cheerfully. "Let's order some food!"

"Mmhm!" Ran nodded, cartwheeling in circles around Amu's head. "Something tasty!"

"I dunno." Rhythm scratched his head. "I heard airline food isn't very good..."

Azumi shrugged. "If it is, then oh, well. And if it's not, then that's great. So what?"

The attendant came clipping back in her crisp uniform and patent heels. "I'm back! Here is the menu!"

"Hmm..." I looked it over. "Ooh, cheesecake! I think I'll-"

"No, Yaya-koi," Kairi scolded. "You're not going to have dessert for lunch."

"I can eat what I want," I said contrarily. "And you're not my dad."

He smiled, and I could've sworn I saw his eyes flash as he pushed up his glasses. "Fine. But..." He leaned over and whispered in my ear. "I might just want to take a bite out of that cheesecake."

How the heck did he manage to make an innocent sentence sound so wrong? "F-Fine. I'll have the Katsudon."

"I would like the same, please," He said, nodding.

"May I order as well?" Amu took the menu. "Ah... Hmm. A... cheeseburger? I think I'd like to try that."

Ikuto reached over Amu's shoulder, and her face went red. "I'll have the filet mignon," He said. "You guys wanna see this?"

"The Extra-Large Supreme Deluxe Ramen for the both of us," Kukai said. "One each."

"Ah... okay." The attendant sweat-dropped. "Good choice."

"What's this? California roll? Interesting..." Nagi handed her the menu. "A roll for us to share."

"Hey! I don't wanna share anything with-"

"Oi, Nadeshiko, Tadase, do you want something to eat as well?" Nagihiko spoke over Rima.

"Huh?" Nade and Tada glanced over. "Oh, sure. I'll have the same thing they're having." Nade motioned to her brother.

"Perfect." The attendant smiled. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

I hunched over and dug into my carry-on, digging through the pack and pulling out the new shoujo manga novel I'd found a day before leaving and began to read. Two people, a cute dark-haired guy whose hair always fell into his eyes, who was a social outcast whose parents were divorced shortly before his mother died and his father left him with his aunt, who was abusive. He'd run away only a year before, and was working every night to pay for rent in a dilapidated apartment that held only a bed, a sink, and a toilet in one room. Then after meeting a girl and falling in love, he was attempting to hide the secret from her.

I paid no attention to my food as the attendant rolled down the aisle with it and placed the noodles on my tray, but kept reading, utterly absorbed in my manga. I was only just getting to meet the apartment super's daughter, who was helping him hide the secret, when I felt soft breath on my neck. Turning my head, I saw Kairi, who was reading intently over my shoulder. "W-What are you doing?"

"I was reading over your shoulder." He sat back, pushing up his glasses. "Does it bother you?"

"W-Well, yes, I mean, it makes me nervous!" I mumbled.

Kairi smiled and slid his arm over my shoulder, kissing my cheek. "Hearing that I make you nervous... kind of makes me happy."

I blushed. "Meanie. Eat your noodles!"

"I'm sorry," Kairi said (not sounding sorry at all, the stupid head) smiled and squeezed me.

"**Umarete kite omedetoo sore de juubun deshou?  
****Kyou no kaze wa kyou shika fuitenai kara!  
****Dejitaru na yononaka dakara ukkari shichau  
****Honto no jibun sukkari wasurechattari  
****Subete wa kimi no..."**

I felt my headphones slide off my head. "Yaya-koi. The plane's getting ready to land."

"Whoa! Seriously?" I sat up and stared out the window. "Ah, and my ears are starting to hurt..."

"Here." Kairi dug around in his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum, handing one to me and taking one for himself. "If you chew it, your ears will feel better."

"I thought you said laying back and closing my eyes was a good way," I said suspiciously.

"Oh..." He bowed his head. "I just told you that so you would rest. I'm sorry."

"Mou, how mean!" I stuck my tongue out at him and turned away, harrumphing. "Now I'm mad."

I felt his arms circle my sides and pull me closer. "I really am sorry," He murmured in my ear. "Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know," I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

He smiled. "Not even... for a bag of candy?"

I wavered. "Well..."

"It'll be my treat."

I watched out the window, as the plane dipped lower, and the unfamiliar world of California, America came into view.

* * *

**A/N: This is a scene cut from the chapter after Nadeshiko and Tadase had the fight in California. I liked it a lot, but I couldn't figure out where to go from there, so...**

**Nadeshiko**

I heard voices outside my door, and put my ear up against it in curiosity.

"Being stupid..." Tadase growled, pacing the floor. "Not my fault... Doesn't trust me..."

I opened the door silently. His back was turned to me as he muttered to himself.

An inch of carpet squeaked under my feet. Tadase turned around in surprise. "Nadeshiko," Tadase said, and he was angry.

"You're wrong, you know." My voice was shaking. "I don't know what your problem is, but your judgement is totally wrong."

He turned away. "You only say that because you're into him."

My eyes widened, then narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about? Alex is just my friend!"

"I talked to him!" Tadase stepped in closer, our faces barely an inch apart. "He said he thought you were hot and he wanted to get alone with you!"

"Alex is not that kind of guy!" Tears had begun to pour down my face. "He's just my friend! Like you're supposed to be!"

He froze, opening and closing his mouth. Finally he managed to get out, "I am your friend."

"Oh, yeah?" Heat was pouring across my skin in filling my chest. Blood roared in my ears and red surged over my vision. "You've got a funny way of showing it!" I yelled. He looked ashamed, and scarlet revenge filled my head and goaded me on. I quivered in rage and pain, feeling power surge through my words, like weapons. I heard Azumi gasp behind me, but I didn't care. "You're such a dumbass!" I clenched my jaw and my fists, boiling hot.

He snarled, "Oh, yeah? Well, you're not much of a friend either!" Now everyone else had come running.

Nagihiko rushed forward. It took a fraction of a second for him to take in the situation, and then he was yelling.

"Get away from her!" Nagihiko shoved Tadase out of the way and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Nadeshiko, you have to calm down!"

"Let go of me!" I tried to rip myself from his grasp, but he held tight.

"Look at me!" He shouted.

I shut my eyes tight, feeling fire and pain and rage, wanting more than anything to get away from there as tears sizzled on my flaming cheeks.

"Nadeshiko, stop," Nagihiko shook me, yelling as if over a loud noise. "You have to stop!"

My eyes flew open as I realized that the air around me had swirled into motion. I was standing in the middle of my own personal storm. Around me, my friends were frozen in various forms of fighting back against the wind. I caught my reflection in the mirror.

White wings flashed and fluttered on my back.

With a gasp and a rush of smooth, chilled air, I collapsed, falling to my knees. Every ounce of energy had drained from my bones. Black dots swarmed across my vision, and I was swallowed up by cool darkness.

* * *

**A/N: This is one of Nadeshiko's dreams. I didn't really like it, so I cut it.**

_I sit back and hum to myself, feeling the air rushing around my face, glad of the cool breeze._

"_It's so hot," Hisashi complains. "Are you sure you can't make it rain?"_

_I stick my tongue out at him. "Want me to get all depressed? You know that it only works when I'm sad. Now shut up. My wind is good enough."_

"_Then you should share it." He scoots closer, his shoulder pressed up against mine and our legs touching—too close. I feel my cheeks heat up, and I lose my focus; the wind dies._

"_Stupid," I say roughly. "You made me lose my focus. Now I have to start over."_

_He grins mischievously and nudges me with his shoulder. "I make you nervous?"_

"_Whatever," I harrumph and cross my arms, turning away. "Now be quiet. It's hot out here and I want my breeze."_

_It's silent for a moment, and I feel the awkwardness rise up like smoke. I'd gotten mysteriously good at reading other's emotions, and I can sense my own distress, but nothing from him, as if he hides behind a mirror so I only saw my own emotions._

_It has been only a few months, on my fourteenth birthday, that I had developed my crush on my best friend. He had no money (no surprise, none of the orphanage kids had any money) and told me on my birthday he had nothing, so he'd kissed my cheek instead. Afterwards, being around him made my chest feel tight and pressured, and it had become impossible to look him in the eye without feeling my cheeks heat up and know I was blushing._

"_So, the Halloween dance at school is in a week," Hisashi says easily. "You gonna go?"_

_I am going. I already have my costume. A long linen gown that slithers down my body and drapes gracefully, just hiding my knees. It has a halter tie and gold embroidery around the neckline. That dress cost me almost four thousand yen, which had taken me many years of smuggling orphanage-banned goods like sweets, cell phones, magazines, makeup, toys, extra food, gift wrap, and non-approved clothes. It was supposed to be a multi-purpose gown, for all sorts of things. Like dates. Or Halloween dances. But all I do is nod. "You?"_

_He shrugs. "I'd like to."_

"_Okay, so why don't you?" I look at him funny. Hisashi is not the type to ever be hesitant or patient about what he wants._

_He says nothing. Then, "Well, it is the last dance of the year. I kind of wanted to go with someone special."_

_My stomach drops, and I bite back against the stab in my chest. "Oh."_

"_There's this girl I want to ask," He says softly. "I've liked her for a really long time, and I think she likes me back." _

"_So ask her," I say harshly, wincing at my tone. "Just do it."_

_He stares at me for a second. "Fine. But I was hoping it would go a little farther than just a date to a dance."_

"_Why are you asking me?" I demand, feeling agitated as I try to shove back the overwhelming hurt in my heart. "Just ask her out. I dunno what else."_

"_Should I kiss her?" He crossed his arms. I can't read him._

"_Yeah, sure," I tell him, barely aware of anything other than my own clouded thoughts. "Just do it," I repeat._

"_Okay," He says cheerfully, and leans forward to press his lips to my mouth._

* * *

**A/N: I wasn't originally planning on adding the whole destiny thing, but when I thought of it, I had already finished one chapter. This is the deleted chapter.**

**Amu**

_"So, it's obvious what we need to do," Ran said briskly. "We need to get everyone back together."_

"_All over again," Temari grumbled. "Can you believe that none of them have even spoken to each other since that night?"_

_The guardian characters all sat together in the warmth of Tadase's house, where an emergency meeting was currently being held. Tadase himself was not present; in fact, he was sitting hunched under many blankets by a fireplace moping._

"_At least Rima and Nagihiko are still together," Rhythm said gloomily._

"_And so are Kukai and Utau," Daichi said hopefully._

"_FOOLS!" Eru said in her most terrible voice. "Those two may be together, but Amu and Ikuto have split up, haven't they?! As well as Yaya and Kairi? And let's not forget about Tadase and Nadeshiko!"_

"_Yeah," Azumi said grumpily. "And none of them will even talk to each other... It's getting annoying. Nadeshiko has never been such a stupid angst-ridden teenager."_

"_It's so sad~desu," Su said tearfully. "Where is the love?"_

"_Well, that's why we've got the plans in place!" Ran nodded brightly. "Operation Band-Aid is back on track!"_

"_Band-Aid...?" Miki sweat-dropped. "Well, I guess it's not as bad as it could have been... Remember 'Operation Get-Ikuto-On-A-Date-With-Amu-By-Getting-Them-To-Ea t-Lunch-Together'?"_

_Ran huffed. "Operation Band-Aid is a totes awesome name! And I told you guys, it was Operation GIOAWABGTTELT!"_

"_..."_

"Anyways,_Operation Band-Aid is underway," Dia said briskly. "Ran, Miki. You have Amu's phone?" The two nodded. "Good. When the time comes, we'll do our best to convince her to send the texts to everyone, but if not, send them anyway. Su, Suzu and I will distract Amu so you can send the texts."_

"_Right. Rhythm and I will get Nagi to make up with Nadeshiko. Azumi, you do the same for Nadeshiko," Temari instructed her. Azumi nodded. "We both have to get them to accept the offer from Amu."_

"_Kairi requires both of us," Musashi said resignedly to Pepe. "He is stubborn... I fear even with the both of us he will resist."_

"_Ah, keep your head up~dechu," Pepe said gruffly, slapping his shoulder, either for moral support or just because she felt like hitting him._

"_Tadase will be easy," Kiseki sniffed, tossing his cafe over his shoulder. "He's pining away for his friends at this very moment."_

"_They all are," Kusukusu told him impatiently. "So let's get to it. We all have a job to do!"_

* * *

It was Christmas morning, and I was outside with my family.

In Osaka, it doesn't usually snow, even in the wintertime. I mean, sometimes it does, but it often melts before it hits the ground, or it just doesn't stick. But today, if only for a day, powdery white snow covered every inch of the ground, white and wet. Nearby, two of my younger cousins played in the snow, laughing and giggling as Ami chased them around the yard. I sat with my parents, smiling softly and taking a break from having my cousins dunk my face repeatedly into the snow, enjoying my hot chocolate. Inside my room, a new laptop, an adorable, sturdy new school bag, and lots of clothes were up in my room.

I glanced at my phone, then slid it back into my pocket. It had been a happy Christmas, spending it with my family. Still, many things were bothering me. It had been a few weeks since I had heard anything from my friends. No calls, no texts, nothing, not even from Ikuto. I was sincerely hoping we all just needed a little time away to think, but I had to admit, I was still pretty hurt. Still, even if I did regret storming off that night a few weeks ago, which I wasn't, I wasn't going to be the first to apologize.

"Popcorn!" My aunt Dorothy called in old-fashioned Japanese. She was visiting from America with my two cousins, Okiko and Sachiko, who were both younger than me, and my uncle Johnny.

Okiko and Sachiko, who had old-fashioned names compared to modern girls in Japan, were both taller than everyone in my family and had the obnoxious, fashionista personalities to match. I loved them to bits. They hadn't come with their parents to Japan, since they couldn't find time to visit, so Oba-san and Oji-san had offered to take them here.

Oji-san was very successful, and had a close business relationship with an industry in Japan. Actually, it sounded as if he'd lived here all his life. Oba-san was born in America, but she'd spoken Japanese in her family. My cousins weren't quite as familiar with Japanese, but they knew enough to have conversations with us that actually made sense.

Sachiko-chan, who was seventeen, was currently chasing her fourteen-year-old sister around covered in snow and demanding she and Ami give her hugs. Okiko-chan was screeching at her not to come a step closer, holding a large stick up to ward her off. Ami was rolling around on the ground behind Okiko-chan, laughing hysterically.

"OI! POPCORN!" Oba-san roared, and the three scrambled to their feet, racing toward Oba-san and practically tackling her.

"Popcorn!"

"Oh, I love popcorn! Thank you, Oba-san!"

"Thanks, Auntie Dorothy!"

My parents both laughed. "Papa and I are going inside to warm up," My mother told us, shivering slightly. "We'll be back to bring out some blankets."

I took a handful of popcorn and swallowed some, kissing Oba-san on the cheek. "Fuank 'chu, Oba-sham."

"Eulgh!" She wiped at her cheek, smacking my shoulder in exasperation. "I'm all covered in popcorn now! Rascal!"

"S-Sorry!" I blushed. "I'll go get a napkin!"

She laughed, ruffling my hair. "Such a responsible girl. In the blink of an eye, you're already a woman."

I rubbed my head sheepishly. "I suppose so..."

"Hmm. You know," She said with a strange glint in her eye, "The last time I saw you, it was several summers ago. You were thirteen then, weren't you?"

"Oh—yeah!" I remembered, she and Oji-san had visited a while ago, surprising Ami and I. They really were wealthy, to be able to travel so exuberantly...

"I distinctly remember you coming home with several friends that day, yes?"

"Ahaha, yeah." I laughed. I'd planned a slumber party with Rima and Yaya, and apparently Utau as well, because she'd heard it from Ikuto who'd heard it from Tadase who'd heard it from Yaya, and demanded she be allowed to join. I'd just brought them inside when Oba-san and Oji-san jumped up out of nowhere and scared us all shitless. (I vaguely remember Utau letting loose a few curse words and Yaya squealing for her mommy. I don't actually think Rima was that scared, though...)

I smiled at the memory, then froze. Oba-san smiled mysteriously at me, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking at the moment. "You have very good friends. What were their names?"

"R-Rima, Yaya, and Utau," I mumbled.

"Ah, yes, that was it. They were certainly good folk. How are they as recent?"

"I... I don't know," I admitted. "I haven't spoken to them in a while."

"Ah. Well, the next time you see all your friends—" Her eyes glittered. She glanced towards my sister and cousins, where Ran, Miki, Su, Dia and Suzu were all frolicking. "—tell them that I wish them all happy holidays."

"Right." I bit my lip, feeling both ashamed and curious. "... Oba-san, um... You know, the principal at Seiyo Academy, the school I go to, there are a lot of rumors that he's a, uh, clairvoyant."

Oba-san turned her head up to the stars, like I'd seen Tsukasa do a thousand times. "Is he really? Well, that's silly. There's no such thing as magic, right?" She snorted, as if the idea of magic was laughable.

"Oh. Okay." I sat there for a few seconds. Maybe she wasn't a clairvoyant after all.

I glanced at my phone. A little while earlier, my guardian characters had pitched me an idea, but I'd rejected it immediately. Now... Typing quickly, I sent a text, then set my phone back down, feeling unusually nervous.

Ami, Okiko-chan and Sachiko-chan had begun a rather violent snowball fight. "A-Ami, Oki-chan, Sachi-chan... maybe you shouldn't—" SMACK. "Hit each other in the face..." I hurried over to the three. "Calm down, you guys! ACK!" A barrage of snowballs slammed against me. "ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT! YOU THREE ARE GOING DOWN!"

* * *

_Yaya sat by Tsubasa, giggling as he danced around singing songs about defecation and other rather unpleasant things, his usual late afternoon specialty after he woke up from his nap. A large pile of recently opened presents, empty boxes, shredded wrapping paper, forlorn ribbons, and discarded bags nearly swallowed up her little brother._

"_Whoa! Don't eat that!" Yaya said frantically, hurriedly snatching a tissue and picking a dirty leftover cookie her otouto had waddled over to and had been preparing to stick in his mouth. "Geez, Otouto, you sure are a lot of work..."_

_Her mother laughed and ruffled her hair. "Your father and I are going out to buy a few last-minute things for New Year's Eve. Watch Tsubasa-chan until we get back, okay?"_

"_Bye, Ha-Ha!" Yaya called after her, then picked up her squirming brother. "You look like you need food. How would you like a cookie?"_

_Immediately Tsubasa stopped moving and squealed. "O-tay, Onee-san!"_

"_Lil' cutie." She giggled and kissed his cheek, before setting him down and pulling a sugar cookie from behind her back. "There you go."_

"_Yaaaaaay!"_

_Yaya watched him prance around the living room, marching and singing more songs, now about farts, smiling. Slowly, her grin flickered and died, and she turned, pulling out her cellphone and checking it. No messages. She drooped, her expression falling, before she placed her phone on the table beside her and turned away from it stubbornly._

_So what if she missed her friends? Of course she couldn't apologize. "I didn't do anything wrong," She said aloud. "I didn't... say anything..." Her voice trailed off._

"So you're not going to even try to stick together?" _She'd said to Kairi. He'd really thought that, hadn't he? That he wasn't willing to try?_

_Yaya buried her face in her hands. The others were so worried, but they forgot how easily their relationships made sense. Amu and Ikuto were perfect for each other. So were Kukai and Utau, and Nadeshiko and Tadase. Even Rima and Nagihiko, who bickered nonstop, seemed to fit each other well. But she and Kairi were so different. He was responsible, hard, an old-fashioned samurai. A little uptight, sometimes even a little cold. He was brave, he lived for the future, didn't daydream and never felt sorry for himself.. She was easygoing, not at all responsible. She was scared easily, lived in the present, was addicted to shoujo manga, friendly. She hadn't thought very much about her future at all. She and Kairi... they really weren't similar..._

"Maybe I'm not the one who isn't willing to try."

_Was she? Yaya wondered. It didn't seem like she was really willing, did it? Already, just a few hours after they had learned about that Curse, she was doubting that they were ever meant for each other. But then, had she ever really thought that she would end up marrying her high-school sweetheart? Did she really see herself with Kairi for the rest of her life? See herself with little kids, watching them grow up and leave the nest? Could she see herself growing old with him?_

_And then she knew her answer._

_Suddenly her phone buzzed, and she jumped, scrabbling for her phone. Her heart beating wildly, she flipped it open, hoping with all her might._

_**Are you free Sunday night? ~Amu**_

* * *

_Nadeshiko stared out her window, seated with her knees propped up comfortably. It was evening, and snow had begun to fall once more, though it no longer stuck to the ground, melting in tiny flakes just before it hit the low snowdrifts. A waning moon glowed from the cloudy sky above, poking its head through the thick veil. Inside, the warm, crackling fireplace cast a rich light for merry shadows to dance within._

_Nadeshiko already wore a new, large red sweater with the family crest, a wisteria raceme spiraling gracefully into the shape of a fan in gold. Her mother had attempted to knit family sweaters, but had failed miserably, so the sweaters were incredibly poorly knitted and misshapen, but they were very warm. Near her lay her phone, open with a text from Amu, asking if she was free Sunday night. She still hadn't deigned a response._

_Scattered around her was a collection of recently opened artist's pencils, already slightly used. A crumpled ball or two along with many unfinished drawings. When closely inspected, it seemed that she had attempted to sketch comical Christmas scenes featuring St. Nicholas and his many elves, but it appeared that she had drifted away from the topic into more familiar scenes. For example, instead of an elf's surprise as several presents in Santa's very large bag fell towards him, Yaya's shocked expression with bleachers and a swimming pool in the background had formed along with it, creating a strange morph between the two. Another was a cross between a drunk elf and a drunk Kairi, and another, one that was almost entirely finished, was one with Tadase and Nadeshiko herself sharing a kiss under the mistletoe dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. That particular one had a rather vicious X through it, as if Nadeshiko had realized what she was drawing and had immediately killed the idea._

_Nadeshiko glanced down at a small jewelry box she'd discovered under the tree. It was to her, but the giver was still unknown, although she suspected it was from her brother. Inside was a a thin and delicate fibre from which a miniature sterling dreamcatcher with woven filaments in the shape of a blossom hung. Strung into the design was a minute dark moonstone that shone and glittered mysteriously. It was very beautiful, and fit her perfectly, but only two people knew about her obsession with dreams, and only one of them could have put it under the tree._

_She didn't realize, of course, the devious nature of her guardian character meant that the little chara was willing to snoop through a certain boy's house on the hunt for a certain present he'd failed to give to his (ex)girlfriend and had discarded somewhere in his room in despair after the breakup. She had absolutely no idea that that very necklace now rested in its little box in front of her, for it was sure that if she knew the truth, she would have tossed it away._

"_So these are some interesting pictures." Nadeshiko jumped, and her brother, who'd been leaning back casually against the wall, flopped down on the bed beside her. "... Is that Kairi when he was drunk? And this one..." He stifled a chuckle, and Nadeshiko felt her cheeks heat. "Of you and—?"_

_She snatched it away. "N-No!"_

_He grinned at her. "All right, then."_

"_Why are you here?" She asked him. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"_

"_I thought I'd come and see my lovely twin sister." He took her hand. "Whom I love so much. And who should know that I'm sorry." A pause, and she glared at him, although her stubborn grimace was already quailing under a growing smile. "And who has a hot chocolate mustache." Her hands flew up to her mouth, and he laughed. "Just kidding."_

_Nadeshiko smacked his arm. "That was not funny!" He busted out laughing, and she tackled him, wrestling her twin, although somehow it changed from an unwinnable match to an embrace, and he was hugging her, and she was apologizing. "I miss them," She said softly. "I really do."_

_He was quiet for a moment. Then hesitantly, "Even Tadase?" She stiffened, then sighed._

"_Yes. More than anyone else." He pulled back, glaring, and she laughed. "Except for you, Nagi. Don't get your panties in a twist."_

"_I don't wear panties," He protested, "and I better be the exception."_

"_Really?" She mused. "Because Amu told me that the one time she slept over at your house when you were me, you were wearing panties. And also whenever you changed out for gym class."_

_He flushed. "It was just for appearances! I don't wear panties anymore!"_

"_Oh, have you switched to thongs?" She laughed as his cheeks went tomato red. "I'll have to inform Rima of that." She snatched her phone._

"_NOOOOOOO!"_

_After Nagihiko had wrestled her cellphone away and then raced off to go murder any other forms of contact, Nadeshiko pulled out her secret backup cellphone from her mother and sent Rima a quick text, answering to Amu's with only a _yes_. She glanced at the necklace, and with a moment's hesitation, pulled it out of the box, clasping it around her neck and tucking the long, slender chain underneath her sweater, hidden._

* * *

It was almost midnight, and I was fast asleep, dreaming of alleys, neon colors and heavy balls shooting towards glowing white pins. The sound of electronic dance music filled the air, mingling with happy chatter, tense talk and an angry voice that was so familiar, but I couldn't see the speaker...

"Wakey, wakey, Amu-koi!"

I flew out of my sleep and let loose and scream as Ikuto, who had his face a foot away from mine, pulled back easily as I pulled back and threw a wild punch at him.

"You baka!" I screeched. "What are you doing here?"

"Only coming to answer your text in person," He said innocently. "Not even a greeting for me, Amu-koi?"

"Don't scare me like that!" I said crossly.

"So that's a no on the kiss?" He pouted, which wasn't really a pout, but a smirk. I threw my pillow at him, and he dodged it gracefully. "Too bad."

"Why are you here?" I asked him, all shock dying away. "I mean... You and I..."

"I came to answer your text," Ikuto said simply. "Yes, I'm free Sunday. But," He said, his face morphing into that stupid fake-pout of his, "I see you sent it to the others... I was hoping it would be a date just for the two of us. A quintuple-date works, though?"

"Baka," I said weakly. "We aren't going out anymore."

"Do you want to change that?" He murmured, leaning back against my bathroom door.

I opened my mouth, unsure of what exactly I was going to say, then looked down.

"I see. Well, that's too bad." His voice was unreadable, and he turned towards the balcony door, ready to leave.

"Wait!" I said quickly. He stopped and turned towards me, raising an eyebrow and smirking. Dammit, he knew this would happen, didn't he? I thought grouchily. "Maybe... it wouldn't be bad... if we changed it," I muttered.

"And?" He prompted.

"And I'm sorry," I mumbled, glaring at him.

"That's good enough for me!" He said brightly, and he bounded right in front of me, pulling me upward and kissing me sloppily. Then he leapt away grinning. "See you later, Amu-koi!"

"YOU STUPID PERVERTED LITTLE CAT!" I roared, knowing that my face must be bright red down to the tips of my hair.

"Love you too, Amu-koi!"

* * *

_Speaking of cat-like people that enjoyed messing around with other people, Ikuto was currently being chewed out by Utau for letting Amu break up with him. The two stood in the doorway to Ikuto's apartment; by now it was late at night, and Utau, already busy and stressed because of the upcoming New Year's performance, was even more frazzled. So, for the first time in weeks, right after she found out from Amu that the two had broken up, she had busted down Ikuto's door and immediately began yelling at him._

"_What were you thinking?" She growled. "What's the matter with you? So what if there's some stupid Curse?! Kukai and I are still together. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't, but that doesn't give you an excuse to break up with Amu!"_

"_She broke up with me," Ikuto mumbled, yawning. It was past midnight, after all. "Not the other way 'round."_

"_I don't give a shit! In what world does it make sense to break up with someone you love just because there's a chance that you weren't meant to be together?!"_

"_This one, apparently."_

"_Just go make up with her and get back together!"_

"_Hmm. I want an apology first."_

"_What?! Why ?!"_

"_Not from Amu. From you." He crossed his arms. "You haven't spoken to me in weeks, and suddenly in the middle of the night, you bust down my door—I'm going to have to get that fixed, you know—and start yelling at me for something I didn't even want to happen in the first place? Now, that's just mean."_

_Utau hissed. "I will not apologize. I didn't do anything wrong."_

"_Then I won't apologize to Amu."_

"_Fine, then!" Utau threw up her arms in exasperation. "It's not like an apology would've meant anything anyways, if you don't really mean it! Just don't come crying to me when she won't take you back!"_

"_Who says she won't take me back?" He replied._

_She shot him a dirty look. "Amu's planning something for Sunday. I'm going. And you better be, too." With that, she stomped out of his apartment, knocking the fallen door out of the way. Ikuto watched her go, chuckling, and set his phone down on the counter._

_If Utau had arrived just a few hours earlier, she would have found him gone. As it was, he had actually just arrived home and, upon spotting her malevolent figure storming up to his apartment, he had soared up ten floors on his fire escape (with the help of Yoru, of course) and had just managed to slip into bed before his sister killed his door and rushed in ranting._

_As a matter of fact, he'd just come from a certain house, home to a certain girl with distinctly pink hair, appearing as he often did and popped in from her balcony, freaking her out as he did every time he sneaked into her house uninvited. He'd also received an apology, and had accepted it by planting a sloppy kiss right on her mouth, before rushing away laughing as she flushed and began yelling at him for being a 'stupid perverted cat-boy'._

_Later, he knew his sister would beat him up for not telling him about his make-up with Amu, but right now he would just enjoy the hilarity while he drunk his milk._

"_Whole milk tastes best, don't you think?" He asked Yoru._

"_Yup~nya! That fat-free stuff tastes like crap!"_

_Ikuto laughed and ruffled his little chara's hair. "Cute." But inside, he thought,_ I don't want to miss a moment with you, little buddy. Who knows when you'll disappear now?

* * *

_Kukai sat on the couch in Utau's apartment, feeling extreme confusion. He received a text from Utau demanded he come to her apartment, without stating why. She'd also neglected to mention that she wasn't at her apartment, so when he got there, she wasn't there with him. So he'd flipped on the TV, started watching, and waited._

_He sent a reply, then looked back to the screen. Utau's apartment was very clean. Daichi had gone off to who knows where and hadn't come back yet, so he was stuck watching whatever was on television, which happened to be a choice between some American reality TV show called __**Jersey Shore**__and an anime show called __**Gakuen Alice**__, but after about five minutes he grew extremely disgusted with __**Jersey Shore **__and switched to the anime._

_Suddenly the door burst open, and Utau stormed in, her eyes ablaze. "There you are," She growled._

_Kukai suddenly felt very nervous. "Hi? Uh... Did I do something wrong?"_

"_Nothing at all!" She shouted, and stomped forward, grabbing his arm and dragging him off._

"_Whoa, whoa!" He protested. "Calm down, Utau! What's going on?"_

"_I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" She roared._

"_Okay," Kukai said defensively. "But what's going on?"_

"_My idiot of a brother, that's what!" She raged, still yanking him up the stairs. "He's being stupid! Argh!"_

"_... Okay? So, uh, why am I here?"_

"_Because you and I are going to have sex, that's what!" She told him angrily._

_He choked. "Wha—whaaaat?! I don't—"_

"_Get naked," She ordered._

"_Yes, ma'am," He said meekly._

* * *

"Amu-chan." Mama knocked gently on the door, poking her head through. "Breakfast is on the table. Come eat."

"Nghhh." I yanked my covers up over my head, burying myself in the warmth of my bed. "One more minute," I pleaded. "Or maybe five... hours..."

"Ami wants to cook pancakes."

"Crap!" I flung away my covers. "Is anyone else up yet?"

"It's five in the morning."

"Thank goodness!" I sighed in relief, then dashed downstairs as quietly as possible. Ami was already in the kitchen, sorting out ingredients.

"Hello, Onee-chan!" She whispered merrily. (Freaking morning people.) "I'm making pancakes. Whoops!" She managed to catch a bag of chocolate chips from falling. "I was thinking of making chocolate-chip pancakes! Like the ones you made last Christmas! Will you teach me how to make them?"

"Really, Ami?" I said weakly. "I know you wanted me to teach you how to make pancakes, but at five in the morning?"

"Yup!" She nodded, giving me her classic sparkly look that I'd always found impossible to resist.

I sighed in exasperation. "All right."

She smiled even brighter. "Okay!"

"Su will help you cook~desu!" Su declared.

"I'll supervise!" Ran burbled.

Dia glittered. "I'll guard the food!"

"... I'll keep them out of trouble," Miki murmured to me.

* * *

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